The New Girl
by AbsolutelyFantabulous
Summary: Discontinued. Rewrite is called The New Flame of Konoha. I'd love it if you'd read that instead. xD This is up for reference.
1. Chapter 1: Newcomer

New girl

"The academy is huge! My clan's is nothing compared to this!" An eight year-old child was being accompanied by the Hokage.

The old man chuckled.

"What jiji?"

The hokage straightened up and looked at the child with an insulted look on his face."And I was going to tell you to enjoy Konoha, brat."

"Brat. I am sooooo not a brat… Okay maybe sometimes, but that's not the point!

The Hokage smiled.

"I think Konoha is nice though. It's so amazing here with the forests. I love how it's just a happy place here."

When they arrived in front of Iruka's classroom the Hokage quietly slid the door open and informs Iruka that the new student had arrived. Sarutobi moved to one side of the door and let the girl enter the room.

As she walked towards the front of the room with deceptively shy, quiet steps as Iruka shouts, over Naruto's unmistakably loud voice, "Class we have a new student today."A tick mark was formed in his annoyance. A girl with purple hair shrieked an ear shattering, "Shut the hell up, Uzumaki!" Naruto covered his ears and the class was suddenly much quieter.

"Thank you, Ami. Don't curse," he said as he turned his attention to the new arrival. "Okay now introduce yourself."

"Okay ummm..."

"Umino Iruka"

"Okay Iruka sensei. My name is Kaneko Amaterasu. Call me Ammy. Douzo yoroshiku onegai shimasu." She flashed a victory sign with a grin.

The misconception of her being shy was washed away with her introduction. The she had short, jagged light brown hair that seemed to have been carelessly hacked off with a kunai and tied in a ponytail. Dark bangs shaded her left eye, accenting the bright teal color. She wore a dark blue t-shirt, cut to reveal her mesh covered shoulders, with sleeves stopping just above her elbows. Her shorts were charcoal colored rising to mid thigh with bandages wrapped around her right leg. Her kunai holster was fastened over the bandages. She wore black fingerless gloves and black standard shinobi sandals. A black sweater was slung over her arm.

She stepped back to Iruka's desk.

"So where is my seat gonna be Iruka-sensei?"

"Anywhere you want, there are three empty seats," replied Iruka. He was about to beat the stupid grin off Naruto's face.

Her eyes skimmed over the room, settling on the oh-so-beckoning, empty space between the emo kid and the happy looking blond. 'Such polar opposites sitting so near each other...' She waltzed way over to the boys. She didn't want to be alone in the back of the class, seeing as the only other spaces were in the back corner. She stood in front of them.

"Hey duck-butt-head can I sit there?" She asked with a smile.

"No. My stuff is there, you baka. Leave me alone," he replied irritated.

In the background Shikamaru lazily murmured to Chouji "…And this is where she walks away depressed or keeps on begging to sit there like any other fan girl," with his eyes closed and chin resting on folded arms.

"Yep", Chouji replied while stuffing his face.

Ammy's eyes glinted in anger, her hair shading a part of her face. All the guys in the room suddenly felt the compelling need to cover their "family jewels" as a dark aura seemed to shroud her. She looked up and did something completely unexpected. She snatched his books with a swift wave of her arm and threw them, into his face.

The room was eerily quiet.

She smirked. "Well. Now they don't. Do they?" she asked with a sickly sweet voice. She hopped over the desk into the now 100% empty seat and laughed to herself. The second her butt touched the seat the room erupted in sound. The boys all laughed at Sasuke. Well… Kiba laughed at Sasuke while everyone else just chuckled. The girls… well…

Ammy blinked. She turned to Naruto and asked, "Are all these girls part howler monkey or something?"

Naruto blinked. Several times. His jaw fell slack as he murmured, "I've been messing with Sasuke for years and he's never ever been shocked to silence like this... Ammy… You ARE AWESOME!"

She grinned, "Thanks."

As the two talked, Shikamaru and Chojji shared a glance. Shikamaru, for once, was completely awake.

"This is the first time that you've been wrong in one of these things, Shika."

"Well this is a pretty interesting development…"

"Yep."


	2. Chapter 2: Neighbors?

**So chapter 2… reviews appreciated and italics mean thoughts. K? Review and Naruto does not belong to me. Soooo I really suck at writing and stuff so deal.**

**Chapter 2: Neighbors?**

"Ahh that was fun. I got a nice laugh out of that."

"I think all of the guys got a laugh out of that," Naruto replied.

"Hey, so what's your name?"

"I am Uzumaki Naruto and I'm gonna be hokage, dattebayo" Naruto shouted. Everybody gave Naruto the death glare.

"Cool. I wanna be strong right now but that's all I can really think of," she smiled. Ignoring everyone is pretty hard if they're being that loud… again.

"Hey by the way why are you carrying a robe?" asked naruto

"Oh you haven't heard? There's gonna be a thunderstorm today." Ammy replied nonchalantly.

Sasuke then stuck his nose in and laughed "Baka there's not even a cloud in the sk-"

-BOOM-

Everyone flinched as the thunder suddenly roared. Naruto noticed Ammy twitch.

"You having a bad day, duck-butt-head?"

"Don't call me that!" he snapped back angrily

"Well sorry.-cough-duckbutthead-cough cough-"

A tick mark appeared on his forehead as she giggled.

"Chill Duck. Butt. Head."

When class ended she wrapped her robe around her and dashed to her apartment. She grabbed a small basket inside covering it with her robe as she left her place debating about what foods she should buy. _Thank god the old geezer helped me get useable stuff in this tiny ass place. Thank god I even got a place_. As she pulled her hood onto her head someone ran into her and knocked her into the ground.

"What's the big idea you jer- Naruto?"

"Ammy? What're you doing here?" he asked dumbfounded.

"I live here" she pointed to her apartment, "and I'm going grocery shopping baka."

"What you live there! I've been wondering who moved next door!" He shouted.

"You're soooo loud."

"SO!"

"Shut up."

She stood up and walked down the steps to the street while brushing non-existent dust of her robe.

"Wait up Ammy! Can I come with you?"

"Sure the more the merrier. Just get an umbrella or something first."

"K"

They walked and talked about tons of stuff.

"So do you like ramen?"

"I love ramen. Usually more when I'm too lazy to cook. I just wish I knew where a good ramen place is."

"OHHHHHH I know! There's this awesome place called Ichiraku's! It's amazing there!"

"Cool, we'll go there after I buy groceries."

"So you know how to cook?"

"Of course I do. I do live by myself anyway and I need to eat to live. Baka." She said jokingly.

"That is true but I usually end up eating instant ramen."

"Wait… everyday?"

"Every day that I don't go to Ichiraku's."

"…That's really unhealthy…" she replied unable to finish her thought after being interrupted by a giddy "Saaaaakura-chan!" from Naruto replied by an annoyed "GO AWAY NARUTO!" Said person had a huge tick mark on her head just threatening to burst.

Ammy stared dumbly at the scene for a moment and shrugged._ "Oh well. I'll just get some stuff and food and go."_

She filled her basket with a tray of meat, vegetables and some snacks. Mostly chocolate. She pulled a small bundle of ryo and handed it to the shop keeper with a smile. She left the shop to see Naruto standing in the street with a rejected look. She smirked.

"Hey Naruto I'm gonna go back first. See ya."

He snapped out of it, and with a "Wait up!" shouted out, he chased after her.

Sakura , who was still nearby heard their outbursts stood there confused for a bit.

"_Together?"_

**_Reveiw Please!_**

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	3. Chapter 3:Graduates

**Sooooo… I would've uploaded this sooner but there was writers block and finals so I couldn't do anything about it. So I've been working on trying to get my character closer to Naruto, Sakura and Sasuke (jerk…) but I don't think I'm doing too well. So give me feedback and if you guys feel like it constructive criticism. I honestly am not that good at writing and grammar and stuff. Oh! And I'm going to include some trivia on Ammy cause it's gonna be troublesome trying to fit it somewhere else in the story so… Enjoy! :3**

**Disclaimer:**** I do not own Naruto. **

**Chapter 3:** Graduates

The next day…

"NA-RU-TO!"

"-SNORE-" Ammy jabbed Naruto in the gut.

He awoke with a start. A sheepish "Nyehehehehe! Sorry, Iruka-sensei!" escaped his lips.

Naruto's hand reached to scratch his head while blue eyes closed as a grin made its way to Uzumaki Naruto's face. He yawned as Umino Iruka's visage twitched dangerously. Ammy grinned as well.

"You shouldn't be _sleeping_ when I'm giving an important lecture!" he yelled as tick formed on his forehead, "You are now preparing for the genin exams in four months. Yet you haven't changed a bit from the-"

Naruto glared fiercely as she stood up, "I _have_ changed!"

"Have not!" Mature.

"Have too! I have goggles, see!"

To emphasize his point, Naruto pointed at the green goggles on his forehead.

Iruka sighed as all anger left him, only to be replaced by annoyance and the feeling of futility, "That's not the point, Naruto…"

"Bah!" he yelled, "I don't need your stupid lectures, Iruka-sensei! I'll _still_ be the greatest!"

He jumped over the desk as she made a beeline for the window with a smirking Ammy tagging along blowing a rasberry at the teacher.

Stubborn _and_ annoying? Definitely. Convincing? Nope.

Iruka ran towards the window as the trouble-making 12 year old successfully booted out of Iruka's classroom.

"COME BACK HERE!" he yelled after him.

"NEEEEEEEVAAAAAAAAAAAAH!" Ammy cackled mischievously at this.

The class of aspiring Shinobi watched this all in interest before Inuzuka Kiba suddenly had an _awesome_ idea, "Iruka-sensei!"

Said person turned his glare at said source, "What. Is. It. Kiba?"

"Chouji used the toilet, and he needs your help!"

Umino Iruka considerably paled. This, however, didn't deter the Inuzuka's plan, "I think he said something about eating too much during lunch."

Queue in horrified expression here.

"CHOUJI! HOW MANY TIMES HAVE I TOLD YOU _NOT_ TO CLOG UP THE TOILET!"

Iruka ran out of the classroom, leaving behind a grinning Inuzuka, "Thanks a lot, Chouji!"

Akimichi Chouji ducked out of his hiding place as he smiled at Kiba, bag of chips in tow, "No problem, Kiba! Come on, Shikamaru! –munch, munch- I want more chips!"

"Trublesome…"

Kiba jumped over his desk, followed by an eager Chouji who was trailed closely by a not-so-enthusiastic Shikamaru. All three ran toward the window just as Iruka-sensei returned to the classroom, red faced and furious.

"Oi! Naruto, Ammy!" Kiba laughed gleefully as they jumped out of the Escape Route TM, "WAIT FOR US!"

"COME BACK HERE, YOU BRATS!"

The _chaos that occurred_ above… -EHEM!- The_ events_ above occurred during Kaneko Amaterasu's second day at school.

And I repeat, _second day._

I am now going to leave Iruka to his doom. MWUHAHAHAHAH.

**XXXXXXXXXXXXXX**

A few more months of ninja school and them hanging out went by, until the day of the genin exams.

"OY, NARUTO! Did you practice for the exams? I head they're going to test us on bunshin no jutsu!" Ammy shouted across the school yard, running towards Naruto.

"WHAT! I suck at that jutsu!" he facepalmed.

Ammy's sweat dropped. "I knew it."

""whadoyamean 'I knew it'?"

"Exactly the way I put it. I asked if you wanted to practice with me but you said you were 'busy' baka."

They kept at this conversation while walking to class. Shikamaru and Choji and Kiba over heard this and snickered. Naruto turned red, yelled shut up and marched to class by himself with a huge tickmark on his head. "I'll pass ttebayo!"

Ammy looked at him and shrugged and walked to class by herself with giggle.

When class begun everyone, especially Sakura was nervous. Ammy was getting irked with her reviewing all the hand signs and basic ninjutsu. She sighed. _What an over achiever. God she's going to stress herself out and mess up. At least she studied though. Unlike Naruto. I'm worried that he won't pass. He'd better pass… Sasuke looks …actually he doesn't look like he's anything but…emotionless. Neh, he's boring but interesting at the same time. _Iruka stuck his head in and said, "Haruno Sakura?" while Kiba triumphantly marched right in with a grin. She visibly and audibly jumped out of her seat still going over the seals. Five minutes later she came back in smiling_. What do you know? She passed_. Iruka's voice brought her back from her thoughts. "Kaneko Amaterasu?"

"Awwwwwww."

She grudgingly stood up and trudged to the door. "Yay" she grumbled sarcastically. In the testing room she was told to perform the bunshin no jutsu. She formed the signs quicker than Iruka and Mizuki could see and created four clones. There wasn't any smoke or sound. _Exceptional chakra control._ But she didn't know this and they didn't really take notice either. Iruka smiled and said "Pass." She walked up and grabbed a forehead protector and tied it around her neck. "Thanks." She whispered and walked back with Iruka.

**TIME SKIP 2 hours**

When class ended, or rather the exams ended, Ammy suddenly saw the huge crowd of parents and students all happy and excited and stuff. She had this empty feeling as she squished through the crowd. _I wish I had somebody that would fuss over me…NO DON'T THINK LIKE THAT! _She shook her head pasted a blank expression that rivaled Sasuke's on her face and got out of the crowd. She looked around and saw Naruto sitting on the swing depressed.

"Hey"

"Hey…"

"So you okay?"

"Yeah…"

_He's so out of character! I've gotta cheer him up. "_Cheer up, things just might work out." She said optimistically, trying to lighten his mood.

"Okay…"he grinned looking more lively.

"I'm gonna to buy groceries. Wanna come? "

"Nah" he forced a laugh.

"Okay… see you…" she said a bit unwillingly.

_That settles it I'll make him a cheer up bento._

A few minutes Mizuki sensei appeared by Naruto and set everything in action.

(I'm sure you know what happened. :3)

A few hours later, she placed her hand made bento covered with an orange and black cloth in front of his apartment thinking "_hmmm what happened to Naruto? He's never out this late… wait… why am I even worrying? Arrrrgh! Well at least tomorrow were going to be put into groups…"_

She walked the five steps back to her apartment, took a shower and got ready for bed with her hair still sopping wet. Thoughts jumbled through her head while she got her outfit for the upcoming day ready. She had recently went shopping and got a form fitting teal tank top with lacey sides and a new dark green jacket, after all she didn't want to match duck-butt-head any more did she? She hopped into bed and quickly slipped into a deep sleep.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

""

"…damn" she groaned as she threw her alarm clock against the opposite wall. It got even more dented with a new crack in the wall formed by the impact, alongside the twenty two others. She grumbled under her breath as she got dressed. She looked in the floor length mirror debating whether or not to keep her forehead protector around where it is supposed to be or somewhere else. She tied it to her thigh. "Nah" she grunted and removed he headband. She tried her waist, and her arm but it didn't feel right to her.

"Aww what the heck._" _ She made her decision and tied it around her neck. "I guess that's fine" she mumbled. She made some tea, drank it in one go after it cooled and left, locking he door. She barely remembered to check Naruto's apartment to make sure the food she made wasn't wasted, but… almost got hit in the face by his door.

"Eep!" she squeaked the color draining from her face.

"Ehh? Ammy-chan?" he squinted at her.

"Watch. Where. You're. Going," she snapped.

"AHAHAHAHAH. Gomen!" his sweat dropped. "Ohhhh! Hey lookie lookie! I passed the genin exams!"

She popped back to normal "What? Lemme see!" She grabbed his head and dragged it down to her height and examined it. "YATTA!" she jumped, released and hugged him. "I'm so happy! So how'd you get Iruka to pass you?" she questioned.

"Well I learned this technique-ttebayo!"

"What technique?"

"Well long story short, I learned the Kage Bunshin no Jutsu with this one scroll and Iruka saw and passed me! He said it was a very advanced jutsu-ttebayo!" he shouted giddily leaving out the part about the fight.

"Really!" _But my clan taught me that jutsu right after I was taught bunsin no jutsu…well it goes to show that my clan is equal to training Nazis._ A sudden thought reminded her of something important. "Oh yeah! We're gonna be late for the explanatory meeting! Today they're splitting us up into teams!"

"Shit, I forgot. Lets race!"

"Meh. Sure."

They both raced to the academy with ten minutes to spare and smashed the door open.

"HAFF HAFF- I beat you-HAFF HAFF"

"I guess you did. -sigh-"

"How are you not tired?"

"Didn't I tell you? I've been doing stamina training."

"NO YOU DIDN'T!" he looked at the clock "... Wait you said we were going to be late!"

"I lied."

"HEY!"

She ignored him and quietly walked to her seat.

"Yo… duck butt head."

"Yo, baka"

"So you're still calling me a baka? Ahh well. So who would you like on your team?"

"With anyone that doesn't annoy me."

"So… nobody right?" she asked as she sat down. Naruto flopped down on his seat mumbling to himself. Ammy and Sasuke continued her near one sided conversation with Sasuke answering with the occasional grunt and very rare sentence while looking forward, until Haruno Sakura sashayed over.

"Sasuke? May I sit next to you? " she asked in a sickeningly sweet and tone and smiled.

"Ahem."

"Oh." She looked at Ammy with a look of _ (fill in the blank) and said "Well you might as well move somewhere else. It's not like you're gonna make it onto his team."

"It's not like it matters either."

They continued arguing, while right now, Naruto was in Heaven and Hell. To his direct left was Ammy, his best friend that really worried and cared about him. But to his far left, in the isle was Haruno Sakura-chan, the love of his life. She wore her headband like a girl would normally wear a hair band. She was smiling and her emerald eyes were sparkling, but it wasn't because Naruto was beside her. To Sakura's right was Uchiha Sasuke, the bastard that Sakura liked. She was trying to convince him, and failing, to get rid of Ammy and let her sit in Ammy's spot, while Ammy looked like she was about to slap the pink out of her. He wore his headband like Naruto wore his, the traditional way. He was looking off to the side, quiet as usual. Sakura was staring at him and her face was rivaling her unusual hair color. Naruto didn't really think her hair was weird, if anything, it made it so much easier for him to find her. As one would guess, only three things occupied Naruto's mind on a daily basis: Ramen, Ninja (Hokage specifically, Naruto was an expert on them), Ammy's occasional tasty bento, and Sakura-chan. He didn't really mind being 'stupid' since it made more room for what he liked. He got frustrated at Sakura talking to Sasuke for so long and leapt to the front of his desk and glared at him from two inches away. The guy, no idiot, in the row in front of him stretched and bumped into him, moving him just enough to...

"Dude my ba-"

…kiss him. And everyone saw. Ammy blushed and suppressed a laugh. Sakura and every other girl in the room were glaring at him. Hinata was horrified. The guys were trying not to laugh their asses off and were barely successful. His thoughts at that split second were "_!" and "Ammy and Sakura saw! WAHHHHHHHH!"_

"Naruto" Sakura growled and cracked her knuckles, a dark aura surrounding her. "You're annoying."

"-GULP-" he slid back to his seat.

Everyone was broken out of their thoughts by Iruka-sensei walking in with a list and yelling for everyone to get to their seats, pointedly looking at Sakura. He stood at the front of the class, gave them the boring speech about their duties as genin, then he started reading names off a list. Naruto half listened, mostly for his name, Ammy's and Sakura-chan's. Not hearing them for the first squad, he decided to keep daydreaming. After six squads were formed, Naruto heard his name.

"Squad 7: Uzumaki Naruto...Haruno Sakura..."

Naruto had a huge smile on his face as he stood up with his fists held up in triumph. 'IT PAID OFF! Wishing for this has paid off!' he thought in joy while he mentally skipped around on Cloud 9. Sakura, on the other hand, was depressed. She had her head on the desk and held it as if she had a headache. 'Out of all the people in class, it had to be Naruto. I would have preferred Ino-pig to be on my team if it meant Naruto wasn't here, even if it meant competition for Sasuke-kun. That is if he wound up on my team at all,' she thought.

"And Uchiha Sasuke."

Naruto and Sakura had completely reversed their positions and thoughts. Now Sakura was on Cloud 9 thinking, 'I'm on Sasuke-kun's team! Who cares if Naruto is here.' Inner Sakura was partying and yelled, 'Hell Yeah!'. Naruto was holding his head and thinking, 'why did that teme have to be on my team? Now Sakura-chan will be paying attention to him and not me.'

Another shinobi ran in and handed him another list and whispered something to Iruka. He opened and read the scroll. He looked through the list seeing no changes…well until he got to team seven.

"And with a last minute addition to team seven, Kaneko Amaterasu."

Naruto perked up a little.

"WHAT! Who the hell has ever heard of a four-man cell?" Ammy yelled.

At the same time "Iruka-sensei! Why does a top student like me have to be on the same team with Uchiha Sasuke?"

Iruka rubbed the back of his head "To be honest, we were expecting two more students but they never came." Then a tick formed and he yelled "Naruto. Sasuke and Ammy had the top scores while you had the lowest, dobe. This is what happens when we evenly divide a group's abilities."

Laughter ensued.

"Don't pull my leg, dobe."

Naruto clenched his fist. "What did you say!"

"You wanna fight, dobe?"

More laughter.

"Why you-"

"Stop it Naruto!" Sakura yelled from the row behind.

"Okay."

"Haha!" a meek smile was on Ammy's face.

A light bulb went over Sakura's head "WAIT! DOES THIS MEAN THAT SHE IS THE KUNOICHI OF THE YEAR?" she pointed at Ammy disgusted.

"Yes"

"NOOOOOOOOOO! SHE'S NOT EVEN IN THE KUNOICHI CLASSES! Why would Ammy do all that just so she could get out of the Kunoichi classes?" Sakura asked. She suddenly turned towards said brunette as she sent her a righteous glare, "YOU JUST WANT TO BE CLOSE TO SASUKE-KUN, DON'T YOU!"

"-sigh-"

"I'M SO HAPPY_ I'M_ NOT TRAINING TO BE A _SLUT _LIKE_ YOU!_"

"Geisha classes are just acting classes with a fancier name." The tick on her forehead grew bigger. She clearly didn't want to start a fight with a comrade.

"YOU CAN'T EVEN _REALLY _BE KUNOICHI OF THE YEAR! YOU AREN'T EVEN _IN _THE KUNOICHI CLASSES!"

Ammy slammed her fists on the desk and stood up, glaring at Sakura.

Both girls looked ready to jump at each other before Iruka-sensei had intervened, "**SHUT UP, BOTH OF YOU!"**

Ammy whined while she nursed her bruised forehead, "Why am _I_ the only one who gets the whack, Iruka-sensei…?"

Iruka looked menacingly at her, "Why? Do you want another one?"

She shook her head.

The tired Chuunin sent the class another glare before he spoke, " Amaterasu was chosen as K.o.t.Y because of these reasons: among the graduating Kunoichi this year, Amaterasu was the best in Ninjutsu, Genjutsu and Taijutsu. Alongside all of those, she was commended by her Geisha Instructor."

There were several 'pops' as jaws dropped to the floor.

Iruka sighed tiredly, "Well, that took a long time."

"Yeah, but," a random boy said with a incredulous look in his eyes, "Isn't Ammy a… troublemaker?"

"Yes, but she was a very talented and hardworking troublemaker."

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXx

When the meeting ended, every one left for lunch.

Uchiha Sasuke sat silently next to the window as everyone exited the classroom. He was still in slight disbelief about the four man cell and the stuff about Ammy being a Geisha.

Geisha? Her? Right.

'Hn. I suppose she _is_ pretty, with high cheekbones and large, too-blue eyes. She does have a cute nose, and an effeminate chin. Her hair is messy and uneven and different shades of chocolate brown but it actually makes her look gorgeous-'

Wait.

…

…

…

What? .

He raised an eyebrow when he found Amaterasu right in front of his face, standing outside the window.

'Hn. Pretty indeed.'

She didn't smell like strawberries of flowers, she didn't have a smell at all, actually, which was very good when you're a ninja. You're not _supposed_ to smell like anything when you're in a mission.

Or you'll die.

"Oy, duck butt head! Wanna eat lunch together?" she asked holding out a bento wrapped in blue. "Naruto's trying to convince Sakura to eat lunch with him and I don't want to eat by myself."

He smirked at her, "Got rejected by Uzumaki, Kaneko?"

She scoffed as she jumped over the ledge to sit next to him, "Hmph. No crap. And you call me the baka!" she rolled her eyes "He was just being the lovesick puppy that he is! But that's okay. I'm still pissed off at Sakura, though."

She stopped opening her lunch box to look at him weirdly, "I don't think I'd be able to take it if _two_ of my teammates act like jerks!"

Sasuke glared at her.

Ammy merely brushed him off, "Yeah, well. We're teammates anyway. I can't do anything about _that_."

"Hn. Baka."

She ignored him in favor of eating her lunch, unwrapped her bento. She opened it, pulled out chopsticks, said, "Itadakimasu" and stuffed some food in her mouth, chewing carefully. Sasuke immediately noticed that her lunch looked good, "Hey, baka, did you make that?"

"Hm?" she looked at him curiously, the chopsticks still in her mouth, "Oh. Of course I did. We were taught how to cook in the Geisha classes. And I live by myself. I need to know how to cook anyway."

He snorted in disbelief, and Ammy glared angrily at him, "What's the matter with everyone acting like that? Why don't you believe I'm actually a Geisha? Who kicks ass, by the way!"

Sasuke smirked at her, "You just said _ass_. Geisha's don't say those words."

"Yeah! Well I'm different!"

"Obviously."

She finished nearly all the food. Then she looked at him in a mischievous manner, "Do you want proof or something? That I'm actually Geisha?"

"You won't be able to come up with one."

A tick formed on her forehead, "ARGH! I'll show you!"

She angrily stalked out of the room and banged the door behind her as Sasuke smirked to himself, 'There's just no way…'

The door opened, and she walked in…

Sasuke was sorely tempted to gape.

She walked differently. Acted differently. It was as if she was born with that personality. She was still wearing the same clothes, but what was on Sasuke's mind was how the girl walking towards him was not the girl with him before.

She stared at him worriedly, "Sasuke-sama? Are you all right?" she was at his side in an instant, "You look distressed! Oh dear!"

She covered her mouth with her hand in shock when Sasuke's rice ball actually fell.

"Ah! I'll pick it up for you!"

A hand suddenly clasped around her wrist, and Naruko turned to him instantly.

Sasuke's face was emotionless as he asked, ".?"

She was acting like a servant! She was acting like the perfect… Geisha.

What bothered Sasuke was, however, how much he liked it.

"What's wrong, Sasuke-sama?" she asked as she sat next to him: her posture was erect, her knees were closed together, and she was so close!

Her hand reached up to touch his cheek, making Sasuke feel… breathless.

She leaned closer to him, "Perhaps I can make you feel better, Sasuke-sama?"

Sasuke could only stare at her too blue eyes (which were too close to his) and notice the smug triumph she hid underneath them. She was mocking him!

Damn her!

But all Sasuke could do was notice her face that was merely inches away from his. He stared intently at her visage from her nose, to her lips…

Ammy who was fully anticipating Sasuke to simply do that stupid smirk thing of his and admit that she really was a bad ass Geisha in a manner that would also make her feel insulted.

She did not, however, expect him to nearly kiss her.

I repeat NEARLY kiss her.

The millisecond that he twitched towards her, she vanished.

'_What?'_

"Wh- WHY DID YOU DO THAT!"

He spun around and saw her standing against the wall pointing at him. Her eyes were widened, and she was tense.

" WHY _WOULD_ YOU DO THAT!"

A blushing Uchiha Sasuke turned away from her, "You brought it upon yourself, baka."

"I THOUGHT YOU WERE GAY!"

-Twitch, Twitch- Smirk, "Do you want me to prove I'm not gay for real?"

She blushed as she stared at him now clearly very angry but slightly calmer, "NO! That was almost my first kiss, butt head!"

'She dropped the duck part…'

"Hn. Leave, or I'll grab you and take your 'first kiss'."

That did it.

"BASTARD!" She looked like a volcano about to erupt.

Amaterasu ran out of the room and smashed the door.

_'..Happened?'_

Uchiha Sasuke turned his head to look at the unfinished lunch she left behind.

Well, at least he was able to confirm that her lunch was really good.

**Hahahhahahaaaaa…? Well Review People! I know it's a day later than I would've liked but still!**


	4. Chapter 4: You're Late Sensei!

**Chapter 4: You're late**!

Sasuke slipped back against the window looking out thoughtfully. _Peaceful, _ or so he thought. Seconds later, Naruto jumped through the window and attacked him. Sasuke, who was taken off guard, was punched in the face by a grinning Naruto. Soon enough he had Naruto tied up on the ground, and smirked.

"Weakling." He sneered. He turned around to an ambush of seven Narutos, and then was turned into the person he had thought he have just beat. Naruto changed into Sasuke and left through the window, making Ino, Shikamaru and Choji believe that he was the one beaten up instead of Sasuke. (FYI, now Naruto is disguised as Sasuke, and Sasuke looks like Naruto)

_**Meanwhile**_

Sakura had finished eating and was wondering about Sasuke.

_Where was he? I really wanted to eat lunch with him, too, since we're gunna be teammates for a while._ She began to daydream.

'_Yo, Sakura. Wow, your forehead is so big and cute. It's like it was made for kissing._' she squeaked and giggled wishing for it to come true. 'Too _bad it's just a daydream. What am I thinking? That this is a fairytale? Geez._' She looked up and saw who she thought was Sasuke. _'Oh my god, it's Sasuke! And he's looking at me so intensely!'_

"Yo, Sakura. Wow, your forehead is so big and cute. It's like it was made for kissing." He said.

She blushed. Inner Sakura was like "_HELL YES! LOVE PREVAILS!"_

"Just kidding, that's something that Naruto would say."

"-Droop-"

He sat down next to her. "So what do you think about Naruto?"

"He's annoying. He gets in my way and doesn't understand my feelings." She had a dark look and Naruto was like "What?"

"I hope you understand…"

She puckered her lips. They leaned close and- GROOOOOOOOWL-

'Aw crap my stomach hurts!' he ran to the restroom leaving Sakura thinking _He's so shy. I'll wait for him to come back._

After his "break" he left and ran into… the real Sasuke.

**Time Skip! (I'm too lazy to add more to that)**

"What's taking that damn teacher so long?"

3 hours. It had been a whole 3 hours since Iruka made his speech. Who, in their right mind, would be three hours late to a meeting?

"Does that guy have no respect for us at all?"

The four genin were sitting in the classroom, waiting for their sensei. Naruto was busy pacing around, Sasuke was sitting at a desk and Sakura was leaning against it. Ammy had jumped out the window and sparred against a huge tree. Naruto decided he had waited long enough and grabbed a blackboard eraser and was busy rigging the door.

"What are you doing Naruto?" Sakura asked. "Our sensei is the only one who is late! This is payback for making us wait!" Naruto said, living up to his title of being Konoha's #1 loudest ninja in addition to being its #1 prankster. Sakura sighed, "Our sensei is a jonin, he isn't going to fall for a simple trap like that."

Inner Sakura punched her fist forward and yelled, "Shānnarō! I love these kinds of things!" Sasuke didn't give a damn about Naruto's antics. Never has and never will. He figured Naruto would end up returning to the academy once his uselessness was exposed; same with the two girls, even if he did steal an occasional glance at how much Ammy was training. Ammy looked back at the commotion, then leapt back through the window and prepared a prank of her own. "Now what are you doing?" Sakura was clearly enjoying where this was going. "I'm gunna make sure that idiot sensei get what he deserves." She started pulling out two spools of ninja wire and quickly set a near invisible trap that would leave the guy hanging upside down if he wasn't careful. Sakura gave her a pointed glare. "Wait, if you're a geisha, why do you act like this?"

Ammy scoffed at her and rolled her eyes, "What?" she asked, "Do you really want me to act geisha-like?"

There was a sudden change in her posture, Sakura noticed. Ammy turned and smiled prettily at Sasuke and asked, "Do you want to eat lunch with me Sasuke-Kun?"

Sasuke repressed a shudder and a snort at how Ammy was acting, "You act like one of the _girls_, baka."

Beside him, Sakura was trying her best not to freak out, "Th- That was…" –shudder-…

"Please don't do that again." Naruto added agreeing with Sakura.

"Hmph! You're the one who was complain…! Wait a sec…" Ammy stopped, mid rant, and turned her attention towards the door. Naruto followed her example and turned, too.

Sakura looked at her funnily, while Sasuke merely spared her a glance.

Ammy, however, paid them no mind. Her face scrunched up in concentration as she leaned against wall next to the door casually, "I don't know why but… my senses are tingling." And she looked off towards the window on the opposite side of the room.

A noise caught the attention of the genin as someone approached the door. A slow smile spread across their lips when the door to the classroom opened, and in ambled Hatake Kakashi. The blackboard eraser fell down and bounced off his head. _HE FELL FOR IT? IS THIS OUR SENSEI? _Sakura and Naruto thought. Sasuke was stunned_, he fell for the idiot's trap? Is he really a jōnin?_

The silver haired jonin picked up the blackboard eraser, the genin noticing that his headband covered his left eye and a face mask covered the lower half of his face. _A weirdo?_ Naruto and Sakura thought in concert once more. He took another step forward… Ammy glanced over in anticipation…

Of course, Hatake Kakashi was one of the best. He had, at one point in time, served the ANBU. So, naturally, there should be no question about his skill. He had even invented his own assassination technique, the Chidori, he is the son of the late yet legendary 'White Fang' and was the Yondaime's student. In bingo books, he is known as 'Sharingan no Kakashi' and is held in high (or really, really, _really_ low) regard by shinobi all over the Elemental Nations.

Yet why, for Kami's sake, is he hanging like a puppet, aloft in the classroom, with a sign 'I am an IDIOT!' dangling beside him?

"Hahahahaha!" –Breathe- "Hahahahaha!" –Hiccup, breathes- "Hahahahaha!"

Sakura, by now, was hyperventilating, "Sensei! I am so sorry! I tried to stop Naruto and Ammy but they-!"

"Hahahaha! Serves you –haha- right!"

"-and I was just saying that you probably got caught up in important business, but they weren't-!"

"You totally fell for it!"

"I can't believe the strings can actually carry you that high up." Ammy said mildly surprised. But she was thinking along the lines of _'Kakashi, you really are trying to throw them off your actual skill level, aren't you?'_

"-they just wouldn't _stop_, Sensei! And, in behalf of –glare- my teammates, I apologize for-"

"That was so cool!" Inner Sakura said as she was sure the jonin and Sasuke-kun didn't see any trace of her enjoying Naruto's and Ammy's prank.

The jonin looked at the genin in the room, upside down, then the eraser, also upside down. Despite Naruto's obnoxious laughter, Sakura's never-ending false apologies, and Sasuke's twitching visage, and the calm looking "bystander", Kakashi was, from the short interaction alone, able to conclude that:

Out loud he said, "Hmmm," at this point, everyone (Naruto) had quieted down already, "My first impression of all four of you is… I hate you."

Sakura's face was the epitome of a horrified expression. Sasuke was scowling like there was no tomorrow. Naruto's scowl could rival Sasuke's. Ammy twitched and glared at the jonin.

"Meet me on the roof."

-Poof!-

The blonde's jaw dropped as he spluttered, "B-but! How could he have escaped Ammy's trap so easily?"

"…"

Ammy turned towards her two numb teammates, "And how could he say that he hates _us_? I mean, shouldn't it be the other way _around_? He was 3 _hours_ late after all!"

Sakura gaped at her.

Sasuke looked at her exasperatedly, _What the heck! Is this girl for real?_

Kakashi was a tall man with an odd taste in clothes and he has gravity-defying silver hair. Oh, sure, he wears the standard Jonin Uniform. The only problem with his get up was the fact that his... _shirt_ covers half of his face and his headband covers one of his eyes. Since the first impression of the three genin had for their teacher was already questionable, upon reaching the roof, when they saw him in a much more normal position, their regard for their teacher continued to degrade.

When the three of them were seated properly, Kakashi sort of… _smiled_ at them. And, as if nothing happened, said, "Why don't you four introduce yourselves?"

Sakura cocked her head to the side slightly, "introduce ourselves? What do we say exactly?" The jonin looked skyward.

"I don't know, maybe likes, dislikes. Hobbies, your dreams for the future," he said.

"You first!" Sakura countered.

The man nodded, "I'm Hatake Kakashi. My likes and dislikes...Hmm. I have lots of hobbies... my dreams are none of your business." Sakura turned to the others, "we only learned his name..." she sighed. Kakashi pointed at Naruto, "You, spiky blonde one, you go first."

Naruto sat up straighter, "I'm Uzumaki Naruto. I like instant ramen, cup ramen and the ramen at Ichiraku's, especially when Iruka-sensei treats me to it. I hate the three minutes I have to wait for the water to boil for my ramen. I like tasting new flavors of ramen and giving the older ninja the run around!" Kakashi had been watching him the whole time_; this kid has ramen on the brain..._ Naruto smiled suddenly, "my dream is to become the Hokage and have everyone in the village acknowledge and respect me!" At this, Kakashi's thoughts changed a little, _he had a rather unique upbringing..._ He turned to Sakura next.

"I'm Haruno Sakura," she said brightly. "The thing I like- no, the person I like..." she looked at Sasuke and squealed quietly while blushing. "My dream is...", another squeal as she looked at Sasuke. _Girls her age are more interested in love than ninjutsu _Kakashi mused. "What about dislikes?" he asked. "I HATE Naruto," she said sternly, Naruto seemed to crumple from those words. Kakashi looked to the Uchiha.

Sasuke grunted before speaking. "I'm Uchiha Sasuke. I hate a lot of things and I don't like anything. I don't have a dream. I have an ambition: revive my clan and kill that one man..."

_As I expected,_ Kakashi thought. He also noticed Naruto shiver_. Does Naruto think Sasuke means him?_ Kakashi nodded to the fourth one.

"Really, Well then, why don't you go next, angel face?"

Sasuke snorted, and Ammy's face colored, "Who are you calling angel face, you scarecrow?"

Kakashi scratched his chin, "Hmm, I was under the impression that girls would find that flattering."

"HMPH!" Ammy looked around for a reason to be quiet, and then gave up. "I am Kaneko Amaterasu of the Kasai clan. I like warm sunlight, training, the color blue, fire, my katana and …" she got real quiet, then shook her head and continued, "I hate...liars and fan girls who are obsessed with trivial things. As for hobbies...I guess cooking, writing, training and kicking ass. I also like running and swimming. I dream to be faster and stronger than the fourth and to...to master the Kasai clan's secret techniques." She spoke clearly.

_That clan…_ He noticed that Naruto looked unsurprised by the information, unlike the other two.

"Well, I think all of you are interesting. So, tomorrow, we will meet on training ground 7 for our fist day together. Anyways," the jonin said, "we will meet at Team 7's training grounds tomorrow. I'll give all of you a map when you go to leave. Make sure to bring all of your ninja tools and weapons."

Three of the four got up and were about to leave when the jonin spoke up again, "oh, by the way." The four looked at him again. "Don't eat anything for breakfast," he said, catching the interest of Sakura and Naruto. "Why?" Sakura asked.

"Because you'll just throw it up anyways," he said in a grave tone. He vanished with a poof. Three of the four ninja showed shock at this, but left with a map in their hand and the simple warning in their heads. Ammy snatched her map and vaulted of the roof to the ground three stories down.

The Jonin paused for a few moments after they left, then took out a small book and wrote the four names of his new 'students.' He scratched at his covered cheek. 'That blue girl seemed familiar...', he thought as he reached for his book. 'Now where is it…?' He rummaged through his pouch, and then remembered dropping it because of the trap. He got back to their classroom to retrieve it. He saw it lying on the ground, right in front of the window. As he bent down to pick it up he noticed something strange outside. "What the…!" there was a huge tree outside, with fist sized dents and foot shaped gashes on the left of the tree. As he went to investigate, he saw that the whole left of the tree was… badly demolished. 'Who did this?' he asked himself as he picked up a wood chip.

**XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX**

**Time skip: the next morning.**

"…DAMN IT! That's two days in a row…" she growled as she threw her dying alarm clock again against the wall. It breathed its final breath as the insides shattered. She grumbled under her breath as she sat up from her bed. She checked the time on her clock and saw that it was four.

"Meh," She took a shower and dried her hair with a spare towel then went to her tiny cabinet groggily. She decided to wear the same outfit except for a shirt with longer, wrist length sleeves, thinking 'All the better to hide tools in'. Ammy looked in the floor length mirror and wrapped her forehead protector around her neck ignoring her damp hair. She walked to her closet door and opened it, revealing her huge stash of weapons and ninja tools. She pulled out her beloved katana. "I'm finally gunna use you again Solar Flare!" she giggled. She un-sheathed the blade and swung it in a graceful loop and sighed contentedly. She took out her tool pouch and restocked it with ninja wire, explosive tags, shuriken, kunai and summoning scrolls. She filled her kunai holster as well and tied a kunai to a rope and laced it alongside her left sleeve (Think Naruto's jacket in Shippuden). Eventually, it was four forty five.

She ignored Kakashi's threat and ate a light breakfast of eggs, toast and apple juice. She thought to herself angrily. 'What's the point of training if you don't have the energy? Jackass.' At five she was at the training ground.

**15 minutes LATER**

Sakura was the first to arrive at training ground 3, or so she thought. In the middle of the training field was none other than Ammy, lying flat on her back in the grass. Sakura noticed some changes.

A katana was lying on the ground to her right along with her sandals, leaving her feet bare to the light breeze. As a further note, she noticed that the girl had a petite build, being about 125 cm tall. All in all, the girl seemed like an eleven or twelve year old.

'She would probably look pretty cute if she wore more colors,' Sakura thought to herself. She was tempted to sit near her, but the girl sat up when she was within ten feet of her and waved as she put her sandals on and placed her katana on her back. Sakura was going to say hello when Naruto's loud voice interrupted, something about ramen.

[Three hours later...]

"He's late..." Naruto groaned, exhausted from not eating. Sakura's stomach was growling as well. Sasuke was off to the side, but an occasional growl could be heard from his stomach. Ammy seemed to be the only one not bothered by hunger as she balanced herself with a one handed handstand on one of the three wooden posts in the clearing.

_Is this how our sensei is'_ Sakura thought.

Another twenty minutes passed before the silver haired jonin appeared.

"Sorry everyone I-" he started.

"YOU'RE LATE, SENSEI!" Sakura and Naruto yelled. Even Sasuke looked like he wanted to say something. Ammy thrust herself off the post, flipped, and landed on her feet behind Sakura and Naruto, then sprung forward to point at Kakashi angrily yelling. "I COULD'VE SLEPT LONGER!"

The Sasuke and Sakura stared at her. "That's it?" Naruto told them about her no-waking-when-still-dark-outside rule. He explained her hatred with waking earlier than her internal alarm clock says, which was around 7:30 am. After ranting for about 4 minutes, she calmed down and let Kakashi speak.

"Alright, it's time for a training exercise," Kakashi said, getting an aggravated groan from Naruto.

"Sensei, we already did lots of training at the academy," Sakura said.

"Well, this is a special training session," Kakashi said, "it is used to determine something...shocking." The four eyed him.

"W-what is this shocking something?" Sakura asked. "Out of all the students who graduated the academy this year," Kakashi said, "only nine of them will become genin, the rest will return to the academy" All of them, aside from Kazeneko, showed shock at the statement. "That's not fair!" Naruto yelled. Sasuke remained silent, but looked more determined than before. Sakura looked worried.

"Now, the test is simple," Kakashi said, "It is a simple survival game." Naruto and Sakura looked at him with a 'go on' look. "I have two bells with me, the point of the game is for each of you to get a bell to pass," Kakashi explained while holding up the bells in question, which he tied to his belt.

"Sensei, there are only two bells and four of us," Sakura said.

"Exactly, that means two of you will be returning to the academy regardless," Kakashi explained. The effect was instant, each was determined to get a bell for themselves. Only Ammy seemed to realize what was happening, but she didn't say anything, just looked at the ground, contemplating something. "Come at me with everything you have, with every tool you possess."

"Are you sure that's a good idea?" Naruto asked, "You couldn't even dodge a black board eraser..."

Kakashi didn't even look at Naruto. "Feel free to ignore the idiot, the dead last of the class always makes lots of noise. It's all they know how to do."

Naruto rushed at Kakashi with a kunai, or tried to. In a flash, Kakashi appeared behind Naruto, pointing the boy's own kunai at the base of his skull. "I didn't say start yet, but at least this means you are taking this seriously," Kakashi said while eye smiling. Ammy snickered.

Sakura and Sasuke were impressed with the speed and skill Kakashi had shown. Sasuke knew that was probably just the tip of the iceberg.

Kakashi released Naruto. "Now that we are all ready, begin!" Naruto, Sasuke and Sakura rushed for the edges of the clearing while Kakashi and Ammy flew off in different directions.

[Ten minutes later...]

Kakashi surveyed his surroundings, _Sasuke is hidden somewhere close by. Sakura is fairly well hidden. Kaneko is a small distance away, probably using her hearing to monitor me. Naruto is..._

Said ninja was standing in front of Kakashi, arms crossed with a defiant look on his face. "Something is off here." Kakashi muttered.

"That would be your haircut!" Naruto shouted as he pointed at Kakashi's head. Ammy nearly facepalmed.

"Do you even know what a ninja is?" Kakashi asked.

"It doesn't matter!" Naruto yelled as he rushed Kakashi. Kakashi reached back to his pouch, halting Naruto's rush. Both Sakura and Sasuke were waiting to see what weapon he used. To everyone's shock, he pulled out a book: Icha Icha Paradise. The silver haired jonin looked ready to take on the world with the perverted book as his weapon.

"Wha-what are you doing?" Naruto asked as Kakashi opened the book.

"What does it look like?," Kakashi asked while almost completely absorbed in the book, "I'm reading. Feel free to attack me."

Naruto shook his head, "why are you reading it now? I could really hurt you," Kakashi flipped a page.

"I want to know what is going to happen in this next part, and no matter what you do, you won't even touch me with your skills." Naruto got angry and charged at Kakashi. He delivered a punch, but Kakashi dodged it while still reading. Three more attacks were launched before Naruto stepped back, preparing a strategy. Kakashi suddenly vanished.

"What?" Naruto asked. Kakashi reappeared behind Naruto, his hands held together with his index and middle fingers pointing upwards. _Tiger hand seal,_ Sakura thought with a massive dose of dread. Sasuke wanted to see what was going to happen _that seal is used for fire Jutsus…_

"NARUTO RUN YOU'RE GONNA DIE!"

"Hidden Leaf Village Secret Finger Jutsu: One Thousand Years of Death!" Kakashi shouted as he drove his fingers into Naruto's butt, and then sent Naruto flying a decent distance away and into a small river.

Sasuke was ready to fall out of his tree. Ammy was a lot closer than Kakashi thought. She suppressed a huge giggle fit at the sight and sat down quickly. _That wasn't a Jutsu at all,_ Sakura thought blandly_, just a really powerful ass-poke. _Naruto crawled out of the river, holding his wounded butt.

"What the hell?" Naruto shouted.

"A ninja must form a plan before attacking his opponent. It is also fatal to allow an enemy to get behind you," Kakashi lectured, still nose deep in his book. Naruto had recovered and held his fingers in a seal resembling a cross

"Kage Bunshin no Jutsu!" he shouted as four clones appeared next to him.

Sasuke was surprised, having witnessed Naruto's pathetic clones before. _Naruto..._ Sakura thought, _he's kinda cool._ Kakashi glanced up from his book_. So the rumors were true, he can create true, full clones rather than the fakes an academy cadet normally uses_, he thought.

"Impressive, but it won't work on me."

One of the Narutos stepped up, "Why won't it work?" As if to betray him, his stomach growled.

"In your current condition, you can't maintain such a high level Jutsu for too long," Kakashi said. Sasuke and Sakura's stomachs growled as well, telling them they were in the same boat. Ammy was pleased that she ate that morning.

Suddenly Ammy appeared out of nowhere and snatched the real Naruto by the ear and was gone, hidden somewhere among the trees. Kakashi was surprised at her speed, as well as Sasuke and Sakura. Sakura was confused as she asked herself, _what? I didn't even see what happened._ She nearly screamed as a kunai implanted itself in the ground in front of her. She noticed a slip of paper attached to the loop. _Huh_? She looked towards Sasuke and noticed that he got one as well. She pulled out the paper and read it.

_Hey, meet me over by the chakra net. I have a plan, but I need help trying to pull it off. Hurry. -Ammy_

She looked around until she saw a glint in the trees that looked like a giant spider web. _THERE!_ She quietly snuck over noticing that the web's threads were parting as she came nearer. She got there at the same time as Sasuke. They looked in and saw Ammy looking frustrated as she was covering Naruto's loud mouth. Sasuke soon appeared next to her.

"So you have a plan?" Sakura looked at her curiously and sat down. She let go of Naruto and a calculating look came over her eyes.

"Yes."


	5. Chapter 5: Geisha

**okamiAmaterasu2012: Sasuke has a crush! Still hate him.**

**Sasuke: Hn. Shut up**

**okamiAmaterasu2012: Haaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa. Gimme a moment...*duct tapes his mouth shut* Finally gonna get exciting! -ish. i forgot to add my own stuff in the last chapter and only remembered right afterward. Meh. I feel that I've made Ammy really quiet in Chap 4... well stuffs gonna happen and some more stuff in the end so keep on reading! REVEIW PLEASE! if anyone is ooc tell me so i can fix yeah. Naruto forget Sasu-gay. do the disclaimer!**

**Naruto: M-kay! okamiAmaterasu2012 (obviously) doesn't own Naruto.**

**Chapter 5: We passed!**

Naruto had suddenly appeared in front of Kakashi and held his fingers in a seal resembling a cross, "Kage Bunshin no Jutsu!" he shouted as four clones appeared next to him.

_He's finally ready_… thought Kakashi, who was starting to get annoyed.

"How about this then?" Naruto asked as he appeared behind Kakashi and grabbed him. 'What?' Kakashi thought in shock.

"I made a clone and sent him upstream. I then used the shadow clone Jutsu in front of you so you wouldn't notice him sneaking up on you," Naruto said.

_'A distraction, from Naruto of all people?'_ Kakashi thought. He smiled slightly under the mask, _'this kid is full of surprises, but_' His thoughts were cut off by another genin.

Sasuke jumped high and gave a roundhouse kick aimed at Kakashi's head as Sakura threw a few shuriken and kunai. kakashi blocked the projectiles and grabbed his ankle, rendering the attack useless. Using his fist, Sasuke once again made another attempt at Kakashi. This, however, was blocked by Kakashi's other hand.

Sasuke smirked. Naruto grinned. Sakura aimed and threw.

The kunai grazed his waist, and Kakashi's eyes widened. He glanced quickly at his waist.

The bells were gone!

Cursing, Kakashi hastily let go of Sasuke and made a beeline for the bells that were lodged in between the kunai and the tree.

Before he could reach it, there was a barely audible 'poof' and then smoke surrounded the kunai. Kakashi stared.

A gloved cream-colored hand was what he saw first, and then he saw the tiny, silver the bells, which were held by none other than the mastermind, Kaneko Amaterasu.

When the smoke finally cleared, he was staring, wide-eyed, at the blue-clad kunichi who was grinning from ear to ear.

"So, what'll it be, Kakashi-sensei? Do we pass?"

It took no more than two seconds for Kakashi to cough into his fist and arrange his thoughts. From behind him, he could sense Sakura emerging from the trees.

"Well, I'm liable to pass you, Ammy, but not your teammates. They didn't get a bell, after all."

Sasuke visibly tensed.

"That's not fair, sensei!" Naruto yelled.

Sakura spoke from behind him, her voice clear and loud, "Sensei, in all the books I have read, there has been no account of a Genin Team with less than three members."

"Ah. Is that so?"

"Yes. In fact, I am also quite sure that we have passed the true purpose of the test."

Behind his mask, Kakashi smirked_, These kids are good. They're the first to actually get it right._

"Oh? And what might that purpose be?"

"Teamwork." Ammy said reappearing by her teammates.

For the first time since they met, Kakashi smiled a true, genuine smile at them, "Well, I'm quite happy to tell you that you are correct. Teamwork was the whole reason for this test."

"YES!"

"Oh YEAH!"

"Hn."

"Meh."

"Ammy, you were awesome!" Naruto praised as he turned to the chocolate-haired genin, "I can't believe you were actually able to figure it out!"

"I know, I'm awesome, aren't I?" she smirked.

Sasuke twitched.

"Oh, and let's not forget Sasuke! Sure, he could be a bastard, but he's awesome!"

"Urasutonkachi. I'm standing right here."

"Yeah, yeah! He TOTALLY caught Kakashi-sensei by surprise!" Sakura giggled.

Kakashi smiled at his excitable genin cell, "Well, it seems like there won't be anyone who'll be tied to the stump. All four of you were able to get the bells and cooperate even when circumstances make you fight amongst yourselves. You must not forget that only through teamwork can you do a given mission flawlessly."

"Ammy."

Ammy looked at her sensei with seriousness in her blue eyes.

"I was quite surprised that you were able to figure this test out. Your quick thinking may just save the life of your comrades one day."

"Sakura and Sasuke, you were able to trust Ammy's note completely and go to her without doubting her authenticity. Same goes to you, Sasuke. That is what teamwork is all about: trust. Individual capabilities won't get you far. In the world of shinobi, missions will always be handed out in teams, and the ability to fully cooperate with a fellow leaf-ninja is what every shinobi should be able to do. Individual play that disrupts the team can put comrades in danger. I'm glad that all of you were able to get that."

He motioned towards a large, black stone with a white flag raised on top of it that was hidden behind some bushes, "Do you see that stone over there?" He ambled lazily towards it, "on this stone are the names of heroes."

Naruto perked up, "Heroes? Then I want to be on that stone too!"

Ammy grinned at Naruto and said "Well it depends on what kind of hero's are on that stone, doesn't it?"

"Oh yeah? Then what kind of heroes are they?"

"They are heroes who died while on duty." Kakashi said somberly.

Naruto's large grin slowly disappeared. He stared remorsefully at the ground. Sasuke was looking at the stone uncomfortably while Sakura was gazing at their sensei pitiably.

"My best friend's name is carved here. With the teamwork that you showed me, you can prevent any other names from appearing here."

Kakashi turned around to face them, "Always remember this: Those who break the rules of the ninja world are scum... Yes that's true. However...those who abandon their friends...are worse than scum."

Suddenly, he smiled, "I'm telling you this because you don't get it. You think you get it, which is not the same as actually getting it. Get it?"

Naruto face faulted, _'Argh. And for a minute there, I thought he was kinda cool.'_

"Well, that about raps it up! Congratulations, Team 7, you pass!"

All three of his students smiled.

"Well, it seems like these lunches won't be put to use, since you passes before the bell rang. Oh well. You'll have to get your own lunch. Ja." And with that, Kakashi Hatake vanished in a puff of smoke.

Naruto gaped at the spot where her sensei had just disappeared from, "WHAT! After all the damned waiting, the bastard doesn't even give us a decent meal?" Mumbling curses under her breath, Naruto turned to her other teammates, "Hey, how about you three, I bet you're hungry."

Sakura was still too euphoric to hear him. She was dancing happily in her own little world, marveling at the fact that she was able to pass. With Sasuke-_Kun_ nonetheless! She sighed wistfully to himself, staring at nothing. Sakura sat down carefully at the ground, hungry and exhausted, but completely happy.

"Sakura-Chan, you all right?"

"Hm..?"

"Er... yeah. You just... keep on smiling there," Naruto said awkwardly, "That's kinda cute."

"SHUT UP"

Ammy sighed and removed her katana from her back, staring at it wistfully whispering "I didn't get to use you after all." Ammy stood up and walked next to Naruto.

As Naruto turned to his other teammate and glared at him_, 'A bastard is a bastard. But this one is my teammate. Smile, Naruto, smile!'_

"What about you, Sasuke? Are you hungry?"

"Hn," he had picked up his bag and was starting to walk away from them.

"Oh no, you don't! We're eating ramen! You too, Ammy"

With that declaration, Naruto promptly dragged his two teammates away from the training grounds with Ammy following, being uncharacteristically quiet, and marched towards his sanctuary: Ichiraku ramen.

**XXXXXXXXXX**

"Hokage-Sama, Kakashi Hatake wishes to see you."

"Send him in."

The door closed and opened with a soft 'click'.

"Hokage-Sama, Team 7 passed."

"Oh? That's good to hear. Please, do elaborate. I am quite interested in how they managed to pass your test."

"They were able to figure it out."

"My, my, isn't that a pleasant surprise?"

"Ammy figured it out, and cooked up a plan. Naruto and Sasuke were the distractions."

"I see."

"During the interaction, I was able to deduce these three: Sasuke is well-rounded, the epitome of a shinobi, while Sakura is exceptional at aim and accuracy. Naruto is also the most unpredictable in the group, I suppose."

"And Ammy?"

"Well, there are a lot of things I don't know about her yet... but she is more than average when handling ninja wire."

"Really, now? That's no surprise. Kaguya-san is quite creative when it comes to teaching geisha about the samisen. She probably drilled little Ammy about all the uses of strings during her geisha training."

"Yes, but ninja wires are hardly practical."

"I agree. However, with Ammy's creativity, there is no knowing what she will be able to do."

"Yes, Hokage-Sama, Ammy is quite a... unique thinker."

Chuckle, "Well, I'm quite glad that they passed. Is there anything else you wish to add?"

"Ammy... she..."

"Yes?"

"She has exceptional chakra control."

"..."

"She was able to henge into a kunai."

"... I see. Well, there's no telling what she might be able to do in the future."

"And, Hokage-Sama?"

"Yes?"

"It seems that Amaterasu Sasuke and Naruto are not the only ones whom I should look out for. Sakura is proving to be a genius in her own right."

"Haruno Sakura?"

"Yes. She was able to aim a kunai and cut thin thread from a distance of 50 yards."

"Then, judging from your report, I have great expectations from Team 7."

**XXXXXXXXXX**

He didn't really know why, but for some odd and inexplicable reason, Uchiha Sasuke had acted the way he did today.

Said person frowned as he walked away from his yelling teammate, his backpack nestled securely on his rear as the straps wrapped themselves around his shoulders.

"Oi! Sasuke!"

He didn't slow or turn around to acknowledge him, he just kept walking further and further away. Mentally, Sasuke scowled as he heard Uzumaki Naruto nearing him with hurried footsteps.

Ammy appeared in front of him.

"Oi! Duck-butt-head! Let's go eat ramen! Naruto invited me too."

"Hn."

"I'll take that as a yes, duck- butt-head. Oi! Naruto!" she hollered over his shoulder, "Come on! He's already agreed!"

Sasuke heard the heavier footsteps of his other teammate as he ran to catch up with them. Sasuke's inner scowl deepened. _Him again?_

What was so good about him, anyway? Sasuke thought as he stubbornly kept his eyes on the road. Behind him, Naruto was chattering animatedly with their pink-haired teammate calling Ammy to join in. He just didn't get how Ammy could actually befriend someone like him.

Earlier, although he hated to admit it, the sight of Naruto and Ammy talking –who was all happy and loud with her- made him feel… odd. Odd as in, there was this heavy feeling in his chest, and he kept envisioning Naruto sliced up into chunks and sold to a cannibal.

That can't be good.

Uzumaki Naruto could fail for all Sasuke Uchiha cared. He didn't give a damn.

But then he felt the usuratonkachi moving towards the baka, and his body moved on his own. It wouldn't do to leave the two idiots alone; they could very well cause moronic mayhem.

And that can't be good.

So he followed the usuratonkachi, deciding to listen to what their third teammate had to say. With every sentence, every pause and every word the dobe had said, Sasuke had wanted to tell him to shut up.

There was also this tiny, insignificant voice in his head that was saying that Naruto's didn't deserve Ammy's attention.

But, in the end, everything turned out well. The dobe was actually right, and the four of them had passed with flying colors.

Pity Kakashi's bell test had only been a fluke, though. If it wasn't, then… Most likely, Naruto and Sakura would have flunked.

And Sasuke would be alone with…

He sent the smiling brunette a glance.

He suddenly bolted out of his thoughts, as if struck by a proverbial lightning. He blinked.

Now, that… That can't be good at ALL.

Sasuke's mental scowl had turned downright ugly at the last thought. 'Don't think about it. Don't think about it,' he chanted.

…

He sent a lethal glance at his other teammate. This time, he really did scowl.

It was an embarrassment. Naruto was an embarrassment.

_Pathetic._

"-have to try it! Right, Sakura?"

"Ye-yeah…"

_Scowl_

"Naruto!" the aged ramen chef greeted, "It's been a while."

The male genin laughed and rubbed the back of his head, "Yeah. Sorry about last time… I had to chase Iruka-sensei, since he left me with such a lame excuse.

"Oh?" Ayame said as she noticed Naruto's teammates, "And who might those be, Naruto?"

"These are Haruno Sakura and Uchiha Sasuke," he said as he motioned towards his teammates, "They're my new teammates, and we're Team 7, at your service!"

Teuchi and Ayame laughed as Naruto sat on one of the stools with Sasuke and Ammy beside him. Sakura sat to Sasuke's right. He looked at them both as he said, "This place is the best Ramen restaurant in all of Konoha!"

"DEFINATELY" Ammy laughed.

"Ramen, usuratonkachi?"

"What's wrong with ramen? I think it's great! Oh, I'll have miso today, old man!"

Sakura spoke up from beside her crush, "I'll have pork."

Ammy let out a chuckle. "Miso, please!"

Sasuke grunted, "Miso."

"Anyway, you'll just have to taste it for yourself! I bet you haven't even been in this side of town, have you, Sasuke?" Naruto smirked at the Uchiha.

Sasuke scoffed at him, "Stop making preconceptions about me, usuratonkachi. You don't know me."

Ammy stuck a tongue at him, "Nobody does, butt-head!"

Sasuke mentally noted how she had made a point there. Nobody ever really knew the real Uchiha Sasuke; he had closed himself up after the massacre, and nobody seemed to care about him at all. Everyone just assumed things about him and never really bothered to get to know him.

He'd never admit it, but it disturbed him a bit.

He was dragged out of his thoughts when Teuchi placed a bowl of ramen in front of them. Naruto shouted an exuberant 'Itadakimasu!' before digging in with gusto. Sakura let out a girly squeal of hunger excitement and let out an happy 'Itadakimasu' and had also started eating, as did Sasuke, even if in a much more relaxed manner. Ammy murmered and dug in eating at almost the same pace as Naruto.

"Ammy-Chan," Sakura started after a few minutes of silence, "I noticed how you managed to transform yourself into a kunai earlier… How'd you do that?"

Sasuke's ears perked up.

Naruto stopped eating and abruptly snapped his head at Ammy as she paused eating, "I dunno. Can't you do that? We were taught the henge in class after all…"

It was Sasuke who answered her, "No," he said with a gleam in his eye, "We can't henge into something like that. A kunai is too small… It would require exceptional chakra control to transform into something smaller than you by more than ten times."

_'Textbook answer,'_ Naruto thought.

"Oh," she answered, "I didn't know that."

"Hn. You're pretty good at chakra control, baka," Sasuke admitted begrudgingly, "How'd you train yourself?"

Sakura blushed in jealousy thinking _'NOOOOOO! He has fallen to the darkside!'_

"Hey! I'm not useless! Anyway," Ammy, by now, had finished her ramen, "Kaguya-Sama. She's was my geisha instructor, she taught me chakra control."

"How?" Sakumo asked.

"Well… you're not gunna believe this, but… she taught me chakra control with the samisen."

"Isn't that a geisha instrument?"

"Yeah, it is. Kaguya-Sama used the strings to teach me chakra control."

"How?"

Ammy winced, "They're not… very happy memories." She twitched, "Yeah. They were sucky memories. Well, since you're my teammates now, I guess you deserve an explanation. But, before I go into my chakra control training, you should know how geisha operate. You sure you're up to it?"

Sakura and Naruto nodded and Sasuke sent her a leveled stare. Ammy smiled, "Great! Well, you better order another bowl of ramen while you're at it; 'cause this is gunna take a while."

The brunette geisha grabbed a clear glass from the counter as her teammates watched her in barely concealed curiosity. Ammy placed her empty bowl of ramen aside as she put the cup for her teammates to see on the table. Ammy poured a bit of water into the cup and a bit of oil afterwards. All three watched as the water sunk to the bottom of the cup and a distinct line appeared between the water and the oil.

"Oil and water don't mix," Ammy said. She pointed to the line in the middle, "You see this line here? This line symbolizes the barrier between the shinobi arts and the geisha arts. Both arts are so different that they are considered as oil and water."

"Pfft." Sakura scoffed.

"Anyway," she continued, "You remember the shinobi codes, right? Well, the codes of geisha are practically the exact opposite! Take shinobi code 25, for example. Code 25 roughly states that all shinobi are to hide their emotions, it's just like saying that emotions are weaknesses! Psh. The codes of Geisha say that emotions are the most powerful tool."

Sasuke frowned, "They really do clash. Why would you enter such an art if it's so different from you're aim?"

Ammy glared at him, "I don't know, okay. I can't even remember why anymore, just that Hokage-jiji put me up to it."

Naruto was frowning for a different reason. His puzzled blue eyes clouded as he asked thoughtfully, "Why would geisha think that emotions are a powerful tool?"

"Well," Ammy said rather hesitatingly, "Geisha… They… Geisha are really different from shinobi. They don't kill, or get dirty. Their whole life, real geisha are treated as princesses, and their greatest goal is to become beautiful." Her expression changed to utter disgust at this, "I still don't get it, so don't ask me about that."

Ammy drank from her cup of water before continuing, "Geisha are performers, high class entertainers, but… here in Konoha, girls are trained to become geisha for a different reason."

"And that is..?"

"Spying," Ammy said matter-of-factly. Sakura looked back in surprise at this. "Geisha consider emotions the greatest tool because they use emotion to get information they need. That's why we're entertainers, because the only thing we really do is act. We pretend we're head over heels for the immoral git when all we really want is information on how to kill him easier."

Sakura winced at her harsh tone, "That's… that's really… um…"

"So," Naruto started, "You're like a Delilah with her Samson."

"I guess it's kinda like that," Ammy said begrudgingly.

Sakura grew nervous with the tense atmosphere. Glancing at her three teammates, she decided it was best to change the subject, "A-Anyway! When did you enroll in the geisha classes, Ammy-Chan? I thought it was open to, well, to third years only? And…um…when did she teach you these things?"

The blue-eyed brunette made a face at that, "It is, so Kaguya-sensei goes to my house during weekends, and that's why for the first year, I had to learn flower arranging and tea ceremony. Oh! And I can't possibly forget about grace and posture lessons!" Ammy grumbled under her breath, "I still have nightmares about that."

She made a motion with her hands; "The first year of geisha lessons downright sucked!" she shuddered, "To make it worse, I had to endure Kaguya-Sama's cooking lessons…"

"What's so bad about that, baka?" Sasuke asked as he remembered the well-cooked bento she made a few days prior.

Ammy froze and turned to him with a somewhat murderous expression, "You. Don't. Know. Kaguya-sensei."

"I mean," she said as she cupped her hands to her face with a horrified expression, "Kaguya -Sama and teaching shouldn't even be in the same sentence! She's… she knows torture…"

"Are you okay, Ammy-Chan?"

Ammy shook her head furiously, "Anyway," she continued, "2nd Year was even worse that 1st year. That's when Kaguya-sensei started laying it thick on me: how to make a conversation, how to dance, how to put on a kimono, makeup! Then acting! That was probably the hardest lesson out of all the lessons in 2nd year!" Her face grew more disgusted with every lesson she mentioned.

"It's a good thing that in 3rd year, things got a little more kick-ass since Kaguya-Sama started teaching me the samisen. Well, there was a lot of pain…" She winced, "Yeah, there was definitely a lot of pain, but eventually sensei taught me chakra control with the samisen strings."

'Strings?' Sasuke thought. "How did you train with strings, usuratonkachi?"

Ammy puffed with pride, "Don't try it at home, 'cause it's really, really, super hard! So you take a string, something hard like the ones in a samisen and try to make a hole in the middle, straight through it, with chakra, so that the only thing left after that would be its surface, and there's a tiny, almost invisible hole in the middle of it!"

Her teammates could only stare at her, taken aback.

"That's impossible," Sakura said incredulously, Naruto nodded with an "Uhh huh." his voice barely above a whisper.

"It's that hard, eh?" Ammy smirked, "Well, I always knew I was great!"

Sasuke twitched in annoyance.

A new voice from behind them had joined the conversation, "So that's why you're good with strings."

The three genin turned around to see Kakashi Hatake standing behind them - his hands were in his pants and his posture was as lax as ever. Naruto yelled at him, "Kakashi-sensei! Don't sneak up on us like that!" Ammy sighed.

The silver-haired jonin merely smiled, "Sorry. That was my bad. Well, I'm glad to see that the three of you are bonding already."

"Hn. I was forced here."

Naruto stuck a tongue out at him, "Whatever, you emo-git!"

"Maa, maa," Kakashi said as he waved his hand, "I'm glad I found you here. We have our first team meeting tomorrow at 8. Don't be late, now." With those parting words, Kakashi vanished in a puff of smoke.

_Hypocrite._

"All right!" Naruto said excitedly as he pumped a fist in the air, "I can't wait to get our first mission! I wonder what it'll be! Ne, ne, Sasuke-teme! What do you think our mission will be?"

Sasuke merely grunted, Naruto felt insulted, and Sakura could only sigh in jealousy, "And then what happened?" she prodded.

"Oh, right! Kaguya-Sama taught me how to use the strings more," Ammy smiled softly at this, "At first I thought strings were kind of wussy, but Kaguya-sensei beat that out of me."

"What happened in 4th year?"

Ammy 's smile diminished, "She taught me how to spy. She practically forced me to act mute for a whole month."

Sasuke smirked at the memory, "I remember that. The class was an octave silent."

Naruto glared at him for her, but didn't say anything. Sakura waited for her to continue, but she didn't. The pink-haired girl frowned, "And then? What happened, Ammy -san?"

Her face was unreadable as she said, "And then Kaguya-Sama left and… died."

"What?"

"Kaguya -sensei died. She was called on a mission."

"I," Sakura started, clearly uncomfortable as she stared at Naruto's empty ramen bowl, "I'm sorry."

"It's not your fault," she said irritably, "It was her choice to leave, anyway. She was gone for about three months, and then she just… died. "Naruto patted her head gently.

Sasuke laced his hands together and placed his elbows on top of the table.

Naruto smiled sadly, "When I first met Sayuri-sensei, she was in this beautiful white kimono with a golden obi and a deep blue dragon on the kimono's skirt. She was really pale, almost as if she hadn't gone out in the sun for years… She had this, shocking red hair… and she had the prettiest eyes I've ever seen…and she was beating the crap out of Ammy!"

She chuckled, "I didn't know she was, like, really scary back then…" Ammy fiddled with the blue cloth of her headband, "I never told her that I really admired her, either… she acted scary for the most part, but she couldn't stop fussing over me, either…" She snickered, "Like a mother hen."

Sakura smiled, "It's good that you're not so sad now that she's gone."

"Yup!" The girl stood from her seat and straightened her headband, "Well, I better get going. See you tomorrow at 10!"

Sakura turned to say something to Sasuke, "Hey, um-"

Blink.

The Uchiha was gone. Sakura twitched before turning to Naruto. He was still eating. She left as silently as possible.

Naruto finished his seventh bowl of ramen and begun to leave.

"Just wait one second," Teuchi said from behind him. Naruto turned slowly, sensing the murderous aura, "Yes?"

"No one's paid for the bill yet."

He looked at the bill. And nearly fainted.

**Trivia on Sakura**:

1) She _hates_ her big forehead. Like in the Anime/Manga

2) She sees Kaneko as a rival in love for Sasuke.

3) Sakura's chakra capacity is larger than in the original but not by too much.

4) Since she really likes pointy objects in my fanfic, her kunai pouch is three times larger than the norm, and her aim is really, really good. Think 'Tenten'. Her dream is to be a famous swordswoman/shinobi and Sasuke's girlfriend... (Hint, hint! Zabuza-sama! Kisame-sama! "Sakura! Stop worshipping the enemy!")

5)She's smarter than normSaku by just a couple of I.Q. points.

6) The rest is pretty much the same besides the fact that im adding some things that would make me hate her less.

**More non spoiler Trivia on Ammy:**

1) The right side of her hair is longer than the left side due to her randomly hacking off her hair. And yes she insists on "cutting" her hair by herself.

2) Her favorite color is blue(DUH). not much to explain there

3) She has even better chakra control than Sakura does

4) Her chakra capacity is lower compared to Naruto's but much higher than average than the norm, and her stamina is not as monstrous as Naruto's, but she's more level-headed compared to Naruto and she has more common sense. She's just as mischievous as he is, though, and she could be really dimwitted sometimes.

5) She's really good in playing the Samisen, a Japanese stringed instrument, because she was taught how to play by her Geisha instructor.

6) She's really good with strings / ninja wire.

7) She's a really good actress (once again, thanks to her Geisha classes) seeing as she hides tons of stuff.

8) She wishes to annihilate all perverts on the planet.

9) She believes in the saying 'anything boys can do, girls can do better while wearing high heels'. And she _hates _a weak Kunoichi, especially those who aren't serious at all when it comes to training.

10) She doesn't have a crush since she really seems to think that having them is derogatory. Although, she sort of really admires Naruto.

11) She's really pretty, but she doesn't like being pretty (thus her reaction to Kakashi's 'angel-face' thing).

12) She's ridiculously strong.

**Trivia on Sasuke:**

1) The council are against him. You wanna know why? Well, it's because… -beeeeeeep-. Oh, sorry. Bad reception.

2) He likes to pick on Ammy as much as Naruto. He calls her 'Urasutonkachi' just like in the Anime and Manga.

4) He now believes that Ammy really did go through Geisha classes. (Ehem.)

5) He still doesn't see Ammy as a good ninja. Even if she's clearly better than he expected.

6) He's just as angst-y as ever when it comes to Itachi.

7) No, he hasn't started liking her yet, but he thinks she's pretty. Okay maybe he does. Just a little.

**Trivia on Naruto:**

1) He's pretty much exactly the same as in the Anime/ Manga just with slightly better skills thanks to Ammy's training.

2) He hides the fact that he has a crush on her. Pretty well if i do say so myself. He will be loyal to Sakura!

**HAHAHAHA. double uber long chapters in one day! happy people? see you when chapter six begins! :3(It'll be a bit shorter.)**


	6. Chapter 6: A New Mission

**okamiAmaterasu2012: Heeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeyyyyyy readers! We're fina-**

**Sakura: WE'RE FINALLY ENTERING THE EXCITING PARTS! SHANARO!**

**Sasuke: Hn. Shut up**

**Sakura: But Sasuke-kunnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnn.**

**Ammy: You're such a fangirl. Duck butt head is cute and all but he's the uber douche of the series. Naruto's more awe-**

**okamiAmaterasu2012: Okaaaaaaaaaay. gimme a moment... *turns to the others*"SHUT. UP." So now we're entering the Zabuza arc and having more action-y parts… I suck at those. So you guys tell me! Review :3 Naruto! do the disclaimer!**

**Naruto: She's serious. She gets sad when there aren't any new reve-**

**okamiAmaterasu2012: *slaps hand over his mouth* TMI just do the disclaimer already**

**Naruto: O-okay! okamiAmaterasu20 doesn't own Naruto.**

**Chapter 6: A New Mission**

"Wolfy here. Back up trap is set and ready to spring. Over," Ammy reported.

"This is Raven. I'm ready. Over." Sasuke sent in.

"Blossom reporting. I'm in position. Over." Sakura whispered.

...

"I'm all set for this. Over." Naruto said.

"Naruto... You're slow and you forgot your codename again! Over!" Kakashi hissed through his microphone.

Sakura was stationed in some bushes, ready to slip out at a moment's notice. Sasuke was in a tree and waiting to swoop down on their unsuspecting prey. Due to this place becoming a bottleneck if their target escaped, Ammy had set up a 'sling shot' wire trap that would throw the target back when they hit it. Naruto was hiding in the shadows of a tree and bushes. Kakashi was in a tree with a perfect view of the area, allowing him to see how his team performed on this mission.

A rustling in the brush caught everyone's attention and they fell silent. A figure slid into the area, looking around furtively. When in the dead center of the clearing, the genin moved in. Naruto caught their prey.

"NYAAA!" the cat shrieked as it clawed at the air. Naruto stumbled over, allowing the cat to get access to his face, which it tried to reduce to mince meat. "OW!" Naruto gasped as the cat jumped out of his hands and tried to run away.

Sasuke dropped in front of the cat and caught it effortlessly, keeping it away from his body. The dark haired boy glanced at Naruto, smirked and turned away.

Kakashi walked out of the brush. "Is that our target? Can you confirm it?"

Sasuke put the cat in the jōnin's arms. "The ribbon is there, so it is Tora." It was a good thing he handed the cat over to Kakashi because Sakura started praising him on his capture.

Ammy walked into the clearing, allowing the small shackle's simple mechanism retract the last of the wire that was stored inside it. When it was finished, she placed the somewhat hidden tool in a pocket for later use.

"Let's return Tora so we can get another mission," Kakashi said as he started towards the tower, his team following behind him.

[Hokage's office...]

The poor cat was seemingly begging for their help as the fire daimyo's wife tried to squeeze it to death. Team 7 now knew why retrieving the cat was the most frequently posted mission in Konoha. It was a small wonder it was still alive. Cat must know ninjutsu or something.

Once the room was clear of civilians, Naruto shouted, "Give us a real mission!" The rest of team 7 moved a small distance away to preserve their hearing, but Sasuke mentally agreed with him. "Naruto," Ammy sighed and whapped him over the head with her katana, "D-rank missions are standard fair for us genin."

Naruto looked confused, "What's with the 'D-rank' thing?"

Kakashi took over the explanation, "Missions are divided into ranks. D is for new genin, C is for experienced genin or chūnin, B is for chūnin, A-rank is for jōnin or higher ranking ninja, S-rank are for the Kage and ANBU forces. You guys aren't skilled enough for anything other than D rank missions."

Naruto frowned, "but we're strong, Kakashi-sensei. We can handle a harder mission."

Sakura then added, "Let's at least hope that sensei is on time to help us if we ever get in trouble."

Ammy nodded and said "Some of us aren't as terrible as we look." Naruto shot her a glare. "What? I didn't direct it towards you anyway." They continued jabbering and she was getting tired. _'hmmm… how do I shut him up?_' Currently she had the key words: Sakura, ramen and date. How to combine them though...

Before either could continue, an older man wearing a black sleeveless shirt with a towel around his neck walked, well, more like stumbled in. "Ah, Tazuna," the Hokage said.

"Have you found anyone yet?" Tazuna asked. The Hokage shook his head.

Kakashi thought for a moment, then asked, "Found anyone for what?"

The Hokage was about to say something when Tazuna spoke first, "I need some ninja to escort me to the land of Waves."

The Hokage thought hard for a moment, then turned to team 7. "You wanted a more challenging mission, you got it. Team 7 will escort Tazuna to the land of Waves and guard him until he finishes construction of his bridge." the Hokage said, "you will leave at 3pm today. Meet at the front gate. Dismissed."

Team 7 and Tazuna left the room, but Ammy stayed with the Hokage. "You know they aren't ready for this," Ammy warned, her tone completely different from before. It was icy and even. A tone he knew well.

The Hokage looked at her quizzically, "is this Kaneko Amaterasu, genin, friend of Naruto, Sasuke and Sakura? Or is it Kaneko Amaterasu the S rank shinobi from the Kasai clan that I am speaking to?" Her eyes narrowed as she took a slight step back. "You can't fear your past, it can't harm you anymore." the Hokage said, then he smiled warmly.

Ammy turned away and put a hand to her neck, "Meh" The small ninja walked out of the room.

The Hokage sighed as he adjusted his Hokage hat, _'and I thought Naruto and Sasuke were the troublesome ones in team 7... I'm starting to sound like a Nara.'_

[Noon at the village gates...]

"Naruto! Calm down!" Sakura scolded. Naruto was beaming while looking out the village gates and practically bouncing.

"But I've never been outside the village before!" Naruto exclaimed. Sasuke sighed.

"Hey, hey! What's it like outside Ammy?" Naruto asked.

"Dude! What am I? An encyclopedia?" Ammy looked beyond Konoha's gates as well with a frown then looked back at Naruto with a cute smile,"Besides, everyone sees the world differently. The way I see it may be very different from how you might see it."

Kakashi placed a hand on Naruto's shoulder, making the boy jump almost two feet into the air. "It's time to go," he said as Tazuna joined the group.

[Day 2]

Sakura started talking with their client to pass the time. "Tazuna-san. Why do you have to be escorted to the land of Waves?" she asked.

"I'm a super bridge builder and some people will not like what I am doing, so I need some super protection." the older man said. Inner Sakura popped up, _'not another one!'_

Naruto got excited, "super protection? That is what I am. Uzumaki Naruto, future super Hokage, then everyone will acknowledge and respect me!" Tazuna started laughing, hard.

"You, a Hokage," he managed, "kid, even if you became the greatest Hokage ever, I would never care." Naruto was about to start yelling when Tazuna spoke again, "it is always the small, stupid ones who make up for a lack of talent with a massive mouth." Naruto started looking around, "who is the small, stupid one?" His teammates looked at him. It took Naruto a few moments to realize he had to tilt his head back slightly to look at any of his fellow genin's eyes, Ammy was excluded since she hadn't spoken yet.

"I'LL KILL YOU!" Naruto yelled as he struggled to escape Kakashi's hold on his jacket's collar.

"What is the point of killing the person you are supposed to protect?" Kakashi asked. Ammy put her arms behind her head and suppressed a giggle, earning a few glances from the others.

Naruto finally calmed down, but was still fuming somewhat as they continued on down the path. They walked past a puddle, only Kakashi and Ammy noticed it. They walked by it without disturbing the painfully obvious ninjutsu. Ammy began to nonchalantly pull out her sheathed blade from its resting spot on her back.

Two men wearing a heavy, clawed gauntlet on opposing arms and what appeared to be gas masks on their faces rose out of the puddle, their gauntlets linked with a razor chain. The one with the gauntlet on his right hand's first action was to backhand Ammy in the side of her face with his claw. With Ammy down, the same man swung his arm, allowing his partner to jump to the other side of Kakashi. In mid air, his partner swung the chain so it was looped around Kakashi. Just when the genin realized what was going on, the assassins pulled their arms and tore Kakashi apart with the chain as the one with the single horned headband said, "one down." Sakura screamed at the sight.

When the pieces of Kakashi hit the floor, Naruto was flanked by the two ninjas. "Two down," two horn said. Before they could cut Naruto down, Sasuke halted their claws with his legs, then punched the two assassins away from Naruto. The Uchiha then threw a shuriken and kunai to jam the chain up on a tree. The two ninja disconnected the chain and one bolted for Sakura and Tazuna while the other returned to attacking Naruto. A few moments before striking their target, an arm was wrapped around his neck, stopping him.

The other one, who was attacking Naruto, was struck in the spot over his heart when Ammy reappeared and jabbed her sheathed sword into his chest, forcing fire into his system. He fell to the ground, convulsing as his muscles tried to make sense of the erratic messages her chakra infused fire told them. "Kasai Tappu," Ammy muttered as she replaced her sheathed weapon on her back.

Sakura looked to where her 'dismembered' sensei was, only to see sliced up wood. 'He used a kawarimi to trick them,' she thought. She thought that maybe Ammy had done so as well, but two shallow cuts on her cheek proved otherwise. The girl looked at the attacking ninja's headband, then quickly took out some kind of liquid in a vial and dripped some into the cuts, producing some pale smoke and a hissing noise. She wiped it and the blood away and the cuts were gone._ 'What is that stuff?'_ Sakura thought, not knowing of any medicine with such rapid healing properties.

"Sorry about that Naruto," Kakashi said to the slightly quivering form of said ninja.

Naruto looked at Sasuke, shocked at his teammate's actions. _'He acted like this wasn't his first battle. He was able to move while I shook on the ground like some kind of idiot,'_Naruto thought. He went through the memories of his personal training and wondered if he had wasted all that time.

To throw some salt on the injury, the 'great' Uchiha spoke. "What's wrong dead last? Fear get to you, scaredy cat?" Sasuke questioned with a cold smirk. Naruto's anger battled his sense of inferiority.

"Naruto," Ammy said, catching the blonde's attention, "those blades were poisoned." Naruto blinked at the kunoichi, who pointed at Naruto's left hand. Naruto looked and saw a small wound on the back of his hand.

"Hmmm," Kakashi hummed while tying up the two ninja, "we are going to have to go back to get your hand treated."

"Good work Naruto," Sakura sighed, "our first real mission and we have to give it up now because you froze up."

Sasuke didn't say anything, merely smirked at the shorter boy. Ammy glared at the two genin, her clenched fists tightening.

_'Why is it always me?'_ Naruto thought angrily, _'no matter how hard I try, I keep screwing up!'_ He angrily looked at the wound, then made his decision. He opened up his pouch, drew one of his kunai and stabbed it into the wound on the back of his hand, draining it of poisoned blood.

His teammates, sensei and client all gaped at his actions. Ammy smiled and thought _'Idiot's gonna kill himself.'_

There and then, Naruto made a vow to never freeze up again, he vowed it on the pain in his hand.

"Uh, Naruto?" Kakashi asked.

"What?" Naruto growled angrily.

"It's good and all that you purged the poison," Kakashi said, "but now you might just bleed to death."

Naruto started freaking out and yanked the knife free from his hand. Kakashi managed to grab his arm and stopped the small boy from pumping too much blood out of the wound. He pulled out some bandages and started to wrap the wound. 'Hmm?' he thought as he watched the wound start sealing itself, 'that must be the Kyūbi's power at work.'

"Uh, Sensei," Naruto said, seriously worried, "is something wrong?"

"Huh? Oh no, just wondering if we can get moving right away with your wound," Kakashi lied, covering his surprise at Naruto's healing rate. He finished bandaging the genin's hand.

Once Naruto's hand was bandaged up, the group continued on. Ammy had gone somewhere, but soon caught up. She approached Naruto as the group continued on and tugged at his sleeve. "Naruto..."

"What is it?" he asked. The small girl held up a vial of a greenish liquid for him. "What...is that?"

"Antidote for the poison used by most Kiri-nin..." the girl mumbled.

Naruto's jaw dropped. Other than that vow, what he had done was useless. Then again, Ammy might not have had-

"I have some too" Kakashi said as he pulled out a vial of the same liquid.

-some of the antidote for the poison...

Naruto wondered if that was standard with all Jonin vests or was it their preparation for missions.

_...Did the vests come in orange?_ His thoughts were interrupted by a voice.

"How did you know we were there?" one of the demon brothers asked.

"Simple, it is sunny today and hasn't rained in a while," Kakashi said, "a puddle stands out quite a bit." He hit both ninja, knocking them out. "Now Tazuna-san, care to explain why ninja are hunting you? I thought this was a D rank mission..."

Tazuna audibly gulped.

[A few days later...]

The three genin, their sensei, probationary genin, client and a boat driver were on a small boat going into Wave. Kakashi and Tazuna had spoken a while back and he told them the truth about who was after him. Gato, a man who ran a massive shipping company, was trying to kill Tazuna because the bridge he was building threatened Gato's plans. The bridge would remove the country's reliance on Gato's shipping, effectively kicking him out of the land of Waves. Kakashi stated that the mission was at least a high B-rank mission, possibly higher if the foes were even stronger.

Using a motor boat, that was being rowed by the owner, they passed through a tunnel and came into a more open area, trees lining the river. This path was best since it gave them more cover from anyone that Gato may have on watch. Naruto got excited at seeing the place, it was all fairly new to him. The boat driver dropped them off and left quickly, leaving the ninja and their employer behind.

"Hurry and get me home safely," Tazuna commanded lightly.

"Yes," Kakashi sighed. 'Next time we get attacked it won't be chunin, but a jonin like me,' Kakashi thought with a dull look on his face.

Naruto glared at Sasuke briefly and then started acting weirder than usual, if that was possible. He started looking around a lot, then randomly threw a shuriken into the bushes with a shout of, "there!"

Nothing happened.

"Just a rat," Naruto said as he wiped away imaginary sweat.

"Stop trying to act cool!" Sakura yelled.

"Naruto, stop using shuriken like that...it's dangerous," Kakashi warned.

"Hey midget! Stop acting like a moron!" Tazuna yelled.

The words fell on deaf ears as Naruto went back to scanning for foes.

Kakashi felt something while Ammy heard a noise. Naruto, whether by instinct or dumb luck, flung a kunai (he DID listen...sort of) with a spirited "there!" again, right where the jonin and Ammy had thought the disturbance was.

"We said stop!" Sakura yelled as she punched Naruto in the back of his head. "Somebody is after us!" Naruto protested. "Yeah right," Sakura snapped, "the men with nets aren't here for you yet, baka!" Ammy nodded and said sweetly, "Be careful or I'll take your stuff away.", with a hint of acid on her tone.

Kakashi, Ammy and Sakura, who had just finished yelling at Naruto, went over to see what was there. A small white rabbit was shaking against the tree, Naruto's kunai embedded in the tree between its parted ears. Poor thing looked like it lost a few months of its life to fear.

Sakura went back to lecturing Naruto while he tried to calm the poor rabbit down by apologizing to it and petting it. Ammy scooped it up gently and petted it's head quietly to reassure it as well. Counterproductive since Sakura was scaring it further with her tirade. Kakashi was thinking though. _'This is a snow rabbit...but it's pure white. They change color in spring because of increased sunlight, but this one didn't,'_ the jōnin thought, _'someone must have kept it in a cage for kawarimi. Then that means the next attack is here. Now.'_

In the trees, Zabuza watched Kakashi and Ammy, not shocked too much at their presence. He had expected as much from what Haku had told him._ 'It doesn't matter, Sharingan Kakashi is the only real threat,'_ Zabuza thought as he initiated his attack.

Kakashi heard it a few moments after Ammy did; the sound of a branch creaking from a jump and the whistling as a blade sailed through the air. "Get down!" Kakashi yelled as the large sword flew at them. Sasuke pulled Tazuna down and out of the way while Sakura tackled Naruto to the ground. Kakashi ducked under it while Ammy rolled out of the way, drawing her sword in mid roll. The large blade imbedded itself in a tree. The blade hadn't even settled and a man appeared upon it.

The Konoha ninja stood up and faced against the ninja who had just appeared. Naruto was thinking of showing up Sasuke and was ready this time.

"If it isn't the Hidden Mist's missing-nin, Momochi Zabuza," Kakashi said. Naruto moved to spring forward, but Kakashi's hand halted him. "Get back. This guy is on a whole different level from the other two," Kakashi said. He put his hand on his tilted forehead protector. "It will be dangerous if I don't use this," Kakashi said as he moved his forehead protecter, exposing his hidden eye.


	7. Chapter 7: Demon of the Mist, Zabuza

**Sakura: SHANARO! STILL EXCITING!**

**Ammy: *mumbles* to bad you don't do anything...failure...sasutard...**

**Sakura: WHAT. DID. YOU. SAY? And being a sasutard is awesome! 3**

**Ammy: *Sweat drops* Ahahahahaha... well readers, The author here dosen't own Naruto. Kishimoto-senpai does. Enjoy!**

**Naruto: And Reveiw!**

**okamiAmatarasu2012: HEY DON'T DO THE INTRO WITHOU-mrmph- T.T**

**Naruto: hahaha... Moving on.**

**Chapter 7: Demon of Mist, Zabuza**

The man standing on the sword had short hair and bandages wrapped around the lower part of his face. He wore pants, no shirt and arm warmers. He glared down at the Konoha ninja and his target. "You are Sharingan Kakashi," Zabuza said, "sorry, but the old man is mine."

"Surround Tazuna and protect him," Kakashi ordered, "don't attempt to enter the fight. That is your mission." He then pulled up the forehead protector up, "Zabuza..fight me," he stated like a command. His left eye was revealed, being red with what appeared to be a ring of hardened color with three tomoe on it. A scar went up under his forehead protector and down under his mask.

"I already get to see the infamous Sharingan," Zabuza said, "I'm honored."

"What is a Sharingan?" Naruto asked.

"It's a dōjutsu, an ability present in one's eyes. It allows you to read and defeat any taijutsu or genjutsu. That isn't the only power it has though..." Sasuke explained. Ammy tensed.

"That's right," Zabuza said, "the scariest thing is that it lets you steal your opponent's jutsu once you've seen them." He then looked up briefly, "when I was still a part of Kiri's ANBU, My bingo book held information on various famous ninja around the world, you included," he said as he looked at Ammy, then then turned his gaze to Kakashi, "the man who had copied a thousand jutsu, Copy Ninja Kakashi."

Sakura was thinking of how so many great people had been springing up in front of her lately. Naruto was more vocal with his thoughts. 'What's going on?' Sasuke thought, 'only a few members of the Uchiha clan have the Sharingan...could he be one too? Aren't me and my brother the last of them though?' And Ammy pulled out spools of ninja wire discreetly, barely moving and set a small wire trap.

"Enough talk. I have to kill that old man," Zabuza said as he and the large sword vanished. He reappeared on the water, standing on it. "It seems I have to kill you first though, Kakashi," he said. He held one hand up and one before his face, both held in a half ram seal.

'He is using a high level jutsu,' Kakashi thought. Three of his students were marveling at how the swordsman stood on the water. "Kirigakure no Jutsu," Zabuza said as a thick mist enveloped the area.

"He'll come after me first. He is an expert on silent killing. You won't notice till you're already dead... I can't use the Sharingan perfectly so be on guard," Kakashi warned.

The mist thickened and Zabuza's voice seemed to come from everywhere. "Eight targets...liver, lungs, spine, clavicle vein, jugular, brain, kidneys, and heart...Which one should I go after?'

Nothing seemed to happen. Kakashi suddenly held up a hand in half ram, briefly startling the others. Sasuke started panicking. 'It feels like I'll be killed if I move! This would drive anyone insane. Jōnin fighting jōnin...it feels like my heart is being crushed. I'd rather die than have to feel this,' he thought as he shook with fear. He started turning his kunai onto himself.

"Sasuke...Don't worry," Kakashi said, "I will protect you guys even if it kills me. I won't let my comrades die again." He turned around for the last part and everyone swore that he was smiling happily.

"We'll see about that!" Zabuza said as he appeared behind the genin. He swung his sword while Kakashi flew forward and knocked his team away with light strikes. He also delivered a blow to Zabuza, a stab to the stomach. Zabuza stood impaled on Kakashi's kunai, bleeding water, as another appeared behind Kakashi, ready to strike.

"Sensei! Behind you!" Naruto yelled as he pointed at the ambush.

Kakashi noticed a moment after the clone he had stabbed broke into water. The blade cut him in two, but he too broke into water. 'He copied my mizu bunshin in the mist?' Zabuza thought. Before he could react, a kunai was placed at his throat and Kakashi said, "don't move! It's over!"

Zabuza laughed. "It's over? You don't get it. Your monkey level imitations could never defeat me. You made your clone say that line to attract my attenti-. That was when Ammy appeared in front of Zabuza, katana giving of white flames. She swung and barely missed his face ,but close enough that she burned some of his bandages away. 'She's fast!' he thought. She then retreated to the mist and waited for the right opportunity to attack, concealing her chakra and soundlessly sheathing her katana. Zabuza warily turned his attention back to Kakashi paying even closer attention to his surroundings. Zabuza laughed. "It's over? You don't get it. Your monkey level imitations could never defeat me. You made your clone say that line to attract my attention. You then stayed in the mist and waited for the right opportunity to attack. Nice plan, but..." Another Zabuza appeared behind Kakashi, "I'm not that easy," he said as the clone Kakashi had caught broke apart. Zabuza swung his sword and missed Kakashi when he ducked. Zabuza used his sword's weight and slammed it into the ground, delivering a fast kick with the momentum, sending Kakashi flying away. He went to pursue his enemy, but stopped because Ammy flung her kuni at his face, which Zabuza easily caught and threw away figuring out her location, as Kakashi sailed into the water. "Useless," Zabuza spat as Kakashi fell into the water.

Kakashi pulled himself up and noticed that the water was incredibly heavy. He realized a moment too late that Zabuza appeared behind him and performed some seals. "Suirō no Jutsu," Zabuza said as the water rose up and formed an orb around Kakashi. Zabuza put one hand into the orb. "You tried to escape into the water, big mistake. Now you are trapped in my inescapable prison."

Zabuza then made a simple hand seal, "now we can finish things later, Kakashi. First, the brats...Mizu Bunshin no Jutsu." A Zabuza was formed from the water in front of him and it walked onto the land. "You think that wearing those forehead protectors make you a ninja? A real ninja is someone who has survived many glimpses of death's doors. When you're good enough to be listed in my book, only then can call yourself a true ninja. You are just playing ninja," he said as he vanished. Naruto was shocked at the sudden disappearance, but nearly got kicked back a moment later, his headband loosening from the impact of a rough shove. He looked up to see a blue shirt and realized that Ammy had blocked the attack.

"Naruto!" Sakura yelled as Naruto rolled up to them and bunshin Zabuza stomped on the fallen headband. Ammy's face was twisted into a grimace as she was thrown back.

"Just brats," the real Zabuza mumbled.

"Take Tazuna and run! You can't beat him as long as I am in this prison!" Kakashi yelled, "water clones can't travel too far from the real body! Just run away!"

Naruto started to panic as Sasuke had earlier, but getting up to run caused pain to shoot through his still injured hand. It reminded him of everything, his vow, Iruka, everything that had led up to this. Naruto rushed the Zabuza clone. Ammy struggled to get up and try to drag him back.

"DON'T!" Kakashi yelled.

"Naruto! What are you thinking?" Sakura yelled.

Naruto was knocked back again, this time skidding almost all the way back to his teammates, his loosened headband falling off. "What were you hoping to do by attack him alone!" Sakura yelled, "We are genin, we don't stand a chance against him!"

Naruto started to get up and they noticed the headband in his hand. He stood up. "Hey you eye brow less freak...Put this in your handbook; the man who will become Hokage, Leaf ninja Uzumaki Naruto!" he announced as he tied his headband back on. "Hey Sasuke!"

"What?" Sasuke asked.

"I've got a plan," Naruto said.

'A plan from you?' Sasuke thought, then said, "you and teamwork?'

'Why is Naruto so cool all of a sudden?' Sakura thought with a slight blush, 'though he still isn't as cool as Sasuke-kun.'

"Let's do this!" Naruto said, wiping the blood from his mouth.

"Nothing but arrogance," bunshin Zabuza said, "do you think you stand a chance?"

"Why aren't you running away?" Kakashi yelled, "our duty is to protect Tazuna! This fight was lost when I was captured! Now run away!"

Naruto and the others looked back at the old man. "Well...I am responsible for all this and I don't think I have the right to tell you to stop to keep me alive," the old man smiled, "fight to your heart's content."

"I'll protect Tazuna," Ammy said as she got up and stepped before the older man and drew three kunai for each hand.

"But you fighting alone is-" Sakura started.

"Kage Bunshin no Jutsu," Ammy growled as she produced five clones, all armed the same way as her. "Who said I was alone?" they asked as one.

"Guess we don't have to worry about our client," Sasuke said.

"You ready?" Naruto challenged.

Bunshin Zabuza started laughing. "You idiots are never going to grow up and stop playing ninja, are you?"

"What?" Naruto yelled.

"When I was your age I had already had soooo much blood on my hands," bushin Zabuza said. This startled the genin and their client.

"Zabuza, the devil of the Mist," Kakashi said. Both Zabuza smiled knowingly, "you know of the old 'graduation exam' for the Hidden Mist Village?"

Ammy crinkled her nose.

"What exam?" Naruto asked.

"A fight to the death between students," bunshin Zabuza said, "friends, siblings and allies are sent into an arena are made to fight till one loses their life."

"Disgusting," Sakura whispered.

"I heard the exam had to change ten years ago...Why was that?" Ammy asked.

"Change? What happened ten years ago?" Sakura asked.

"A devil appeared and..." Kakashi stopped.

"What did the 'devil' do?" Sakura asked again, disgusted by the ritual.

"Without the slightest shred of humanity, a boy yet to enter the academy killed over a hundred trained students on his own," Kakashi said grimly.

"That was the most fun I ever had," Zabuza said with a strange smile on his face and a demented look in his eyes. Naruto and Sasuke flinched from the look. Sasuke realized a moment too late that bunshin Zabuza was in front of him. He was knocked back with an elbow blow, then he was slammed into the ground by the bunshin's fist. Sasuke instantly spat up blood from the harsh blow. Ammy winced.

"Sasuke-kun!" Sakura yelled.

"Die," the bunshin commanded as it placed a foot on Sasuke's chest, intent on crushing his heart.

"Kage Bunshin no jutsu!" Naruto yelled as he produced at least twenty clones and each drew a kunai. "Shadow clones...and lots of them," bunshin Zabuza mused.

"Here we come!" Naruto announced as all the bunshin jumped at bunshin Zabuza and forced him away from Sasuke, then piled on top of him, kunai pointed towards the water clone. Bunshin Zabuza had grabbed his sword, then he swung his blade around, cutting the clones down and knocking the real Naruto away.

'Useless,' Tazuna thought, 'you kids can't beat him.'

Naruto dug into his bag and pulled out a large weapon, a shuriken. "Sasuke!" Naruto yelled as he tossed the weapon when he slid by Sasuke.

Sasuke caught the shuriken and his eyes widened in realization. 'That's your plan! You never told me dobe...good plan though.' Sasuke rolled away to gain some distance from bunshin Zabuza. He stood up and opened the massive shuriken. "Fūma shuriken," Sasuke said, then he jumped up.

"Even a giant shuriken won't work on me," bunshin Zabuza said as he got ready to deflect the shuriken with his sword. Sasuke threw the shuriken. Bunshin Zabuza was surprised when the shuriken flew by him harmlessly. 'Did fear mind take his mind?' he thought, then realized the boy's aim. "So you are aiming for the real me..." the real Zabuza said, "too bad it isn't enough!" He caught the shuriken. He noticed moment later that another was there in the 'shadow' of the first one, aiming for his legs. "A second shuriken!"

'That is Kage Shuriken no Jutsu...' Kakashi thought, stunned at the plan Naruto had come up with.

"Still not enough," Zabuza said as he jumped over the second one. Sasuke smirked.

The shuriken burst into smoke and revealed Naruto, kunai in hand. Everyone, except Sasuke, expressed different levels of shock.

Naruto threw his kunai at Zabuza's head. It drew closer and closer. At the last second, Zabuza pulled his arm free of the water prison and moved away to avoid the flying blade. He glared at Naruto, a small cut under his eye. Everyone realized what was about to happen as Zabuza spun the Fūma Shuriken. 'Damn brat!' Zabuza mentally roared. Before he could throw the weapon, it was halted by the metal plate on the back of Kakashi's glove.

"Great plan Naruto," Kakashi said, "you guys have grown..."

"My shadow clones weren't meant to defeat Zabuza, just to hide that I had transformed into the shuriken," Naruto explained, "I figured I could break the prison."

"I got distracted and released the water prison," Zabuza said.

"You didn't release it because of distraction," Kakashi corrected, "you were forced to release it because you were in danger." Zabuza's anger flared up. "I don't fall to the same jutsu twice," Kakashi warned.

Both jōnin jumped away from each other. When they landed, each started performing seals at an astonishing speed, both finishing at the same moment. "Suiton: Suiryūdan no Jutsu," both said as dragons made of water formed and clashed with each other.

'That many seals in seconds...and he copied it perfectly!' Sasuke thought in awe.

In the middle of the water war, the two jōnin were weapon locked. Zabuza was finding it strange. He shoved his opponent back and ran to circle him. Upon stopping and preparing to perform another jutsu, he found Kakashi had as well, both in the same pose.

Zabuza started nervously thinking, 'my movements...he's-'

"-Copying them perfectly," Kakashi finished as he mirrored Zabuza's movements.

'He read my mind?' Zabuza thought in shock, then got angry at Kakashi's sharingan and started flashing through seals, 'That-'

"-Fucking eye is pissing me off," Kakashi finished as he mirrored Zabuza movements down to his expression.

"All you're doing is copying me-" Zabuza snapped.

"You can't beat me, you albino monkey!" both shouted. Ammy suppressed a fit of giggles.

Thrown further into shock and anger, now becoming slightly paranoid, Zabuza performed new seals, intending to use a different jutsu. "I'll make it so that mouth never opens again!" he declared. He then noticed something. 'Is that me?' he thought as he saw what appeared to be an image of himself behind Kakashi, 'this has to be genjutsu!' He made the mistake of letting the shock stop his hands.

"Suiton: Daibakufu no Jutsu," Kakashi stated as he finished the seals and his sharingan spun.

"Impossible!" Zabuza yelled as a veritable maelstrom slammed into him and threw him onto the land. 'It was my jutsu, yet he finished first!' Zabuza thought as he was washed away. He slammed into a tree and was pinned to the tree by kunai and, stopping him from moving.

"It's over," Kakashi said as he prepared another kunai.

"Can you see the future now?" Zabuza asked.

"Yeah," Kakashi said as he got ready to throw his weapon, "you're about to die." Ammy appeared nearby with her flaming sword, intent on using it to finish Zabuza off in case Kakashi failed. Her clones had stayed with Tazuna.

Before any could react, a pair of senbon lanced into Zabuza's neck, killing him.

A masked ninja chuckled from the trees, "you're right, he died."

Naruto pulled himself out of the lake, angry at seeing Zabuza's corpse and the boy who had killed him with such ease. Kakashi moved to the corpse and checked for a pulse, not finding one.

"Thank you ever so much," the boy said as he bowed respectfully, "I have been waiting for the perfect moment to kill Momochi Zabuza for a while now."

"That mask, you're a hunter-nin from the Hidden Mist," Kakashi said.

"You are correct," the hunter-nin said.

"Hunter-nin?" Naruto asked.

"Yes. It is our duty to hunt missing-nin and kill them," the hunter-nin said.

Naruto was getting angrier and angrier about the whole situation. "Who the hell are you?" he suddenly yelled.

"He isn't an enemy Naruto," Kakashi assured the hyperactive ninja.

"I ain't asking about that!" Naruto yelled, "He, a kid, killed Zabuza, that really strong guy, as if it was nothing! He isn't much different from us, but he makes us look stupid!"

"I know how you feel," Kakashi said as he ruffled Naruto's hair, "there are kids in this world who are stronger than me, but not much older than you." He briefly cast a look towards Ammy and her clones. "One is closer to you than you would think..." he muttered so quietly that nobody heard him.

The hunter-nin vanished in a swirl of leaves and appeared next to Zabuza. The boy took Zabuza's corpse on his shoulder and lifted it. "The battle is over and I must dispose of this body," the boy said, "farewell." With that last word, he and Zabuza's corpse vanished in a swirl of leaves.


	8. Chapter 8: Chakra Training

**Sakura: WERE STI- **

**Ammy: ENOUGH ALREADY! 8I**

**Sakura: okay...eff'in bitch...**

**Ammy: Hmmmm? :]**

**Sakura: *sweatdrops* never mind**

**Ammy: Okay! Disclaimer! The Naruto series belongs to Kishimoto-sempai!**

**Chapter 8: Chakra Training**

Ammy threw a kuni at the spot Zabuza's body had rested with a growl. She noisily stomped away from the tree and went towards her fellow genin.

Kakashi put his headband back in place and sighed. "Time to get Tazuna home, let's go."

"Super, thanks!" Tazuna laughed, "Come to my place and relax a while."

Kakashi suddenly fell to the floor. The genin and bunshin ran over to him, most were worried about him. 'Guess I overused the Sharingan...again,' Kakashi thought.

A while later, after being carried by five Ammy bunshin, the real Ammy, Naruto and Sasuke, Kakashi was in a fair sized house and on a futon, covered up.

"Are you alright Sensei?" Tazuna's daughter, Tsunami asked.

"Yeah, I just can't move for about a week," Kakashi explained.

"The Sharingan is incredible, but it really takes a lot out of you," Sakura said as she sat next to his futon, "you need to think before using it!" Kakashi realized how Naruto felt when he was being lectured by Sakura since he was now receiving one himself. "It is a good thing Ammy had used kage bunshin earlier or it would have been harder to bring you here," Sakura finished.

"We defeated a strong ninja," Tazuna said with a wide smile, "we should be safe for a while."

"Who was that masked kid?" Sakura asked.

"He was a hunter-nin," Ammy explained, "I read that they are a special group also known as body erasers. They make the bodies of missing-nin vanish without a trace. A ninja's body stores secrets, jutsu, chakra and even things that will reveal secrets of the ninja's village. If Kakashi were to die, anyone with the right skills could steal the sharingan for themselves. This is why you should be careful, because you could have your jutsu stolen this way. You could also lead to your village's destruction."

"A ninja's body is a trove of information," Kakashi cut in, "hunter-nin kill and dispose of the missing-nin who have abandoned their villages to prevent that information from getting stolen. They are specialists who guard their village's secrets. Nothingness, that is a ninja's end. Even the bodies of ninja that haven't betrayed their village are burned after dying to protect all their secrets."

"So Zabuza's been cut up and thrown away?" Sakura asked, and then shivered at the thought.

[Unknown part of the forest...]

The hunter-nin was leaning over Zabuza's body, tools laid out beside him. He took a scissor-like tool and moved it close to Zabuza's mouth. "First I'll cut the mouth cloth and drain some blood, and then I can..." He came very close, but Zabuza seized his hand and said, "That's alright, I can do it myself. He pulled the wrappings off his mouth and smiled with a slightly crazed look on his face.

"So you already came back.." the boy said.

"Damn, that hurt," Zabuza said as he yanked a needle from his neck.

"You shouldn't do that. You may really kill yourself if you pull them out like that," the hunter-nin warned with concern.

"How long are you going to wear that ridiculous mask?" Zabuza asked.

The boy grabbed the mask and started removing it. "It reminds me of the old days...and it really helped for this act," he said as he revealed a feminine face. "If I hadn't saved you then, you would be dead for real," he continued.

"Next time you put me into a momentary death, don't use my neck. There are safer places to put those things" Zabuza said as he replaced the bandages on his mouth, "you are annoying...as usual."

"You're right," the boy said happily. Zabuza just stared at him. "I didn't want to scar your body...and the neck doesn't have much muscle so it is easier to put the needles there. You should be immobile for a week, though you might be able to move a little before that." Zabuza kept his eyes on the boy, "you are pure and clever, that is what I like about you." The boy chuckled, "that's cause I'm still a kid," he then stood up, "the mist has cleared. Next time we meet them...will you be alright?"

"The Sharingan will be destroyed next time," Zabuza declared.

[Tazuna's house...]

Kakashi suddenly woke up, scaring a few years off Naruto and Sakura's lifespans.

"You're awake Sensei," Tsunami said.

"We were so close to seeing under his mask!" Sakura whined.

'What is wrong?' Kakashi thought, 'Zabuza is dead...but something feels wrong...did I miss something?' He then looked at Ammy, remembering her abilities. He wanted to ask her to confirm something he was thinking about. Too bad she didn't look too happy right now...

"What do you want?" Ammy asked as she noticed Kakashi's stare. She was scowling at him.

Kakashi was silent, still thinking.

"What is it?" Naruto asked.

"Hunter-nin usually destroy the body right where they fall," Kakashi said.

"So what?" Sakura asked.

"Did we see how the body disposed of?" Kakashi asked.

"How would we know?" Sakura sighed, "that boy took the body with him."

Ammy sweat dropped. For being the smartest of the group, Sakura had just missed a painfully obvious point.

"What about the weapons used to kill Zabuza?" Kakashi asked.

Sasuke made the connection due to his extensive tool studies. "No way..."

Kakashi looked to Ammy, "what did you hear after the needles hit?"

"I felt his chakra vanish instantly...but a metallic clicking was coming from his neck for a few moments after they hit," Ammy said. Kakashi nodded a bit.

"What does that mean?" Tazuna asked.

"Most likely, Zabuza is still alive," Kakashi said.

"What the hell?" Naruto yelled.

"You checked and said he was dead!" Sakura yelled.

"Judging by everything I now know, it was a temporary death," Kakashi said, "Ammy's hearing confirms that. When the spine is severed, which is the preferred method of senbon using assassins, the pulse should abruptly stop as well, but it didn't, meaning he was still alive. Also, that kind of attack wouldn't instantly stop the flow of chakra."

Kakashi then started to explain everything else. "The needles that were used on Zabuza have a very low chance of killing a person. Hunter-nin know of the human body structure, putting one into a temporary death is as easy for them as killing. He carried Zabuza, a much heavier person, and used a weapon with low fatality. These two points mean his objective was to save Zabuza, not kill him," he said, "we can't ignore this possibility."

"Aren't you looking into this too deeply?" Tazuna asked, "hunter-nin are supposed to kill missing-nin."

"We can't be too lax with all this suspicion," Kakashi said, "we should prepare just in case Zabuza is alive...Even if he is dead, Gato may have hired more ninja." Kakashi noticed Naruto was shaking in excitement. 'He's happy that Zabuza might be alive still.'

"How do we prepare before it is to late?" Sakura asked, "you can't really move."

"You guys will be trained," Kakashi said with a light chuckle.

"Training?" Sakura asked, "What is a little training going to do? Our enemy is someone even you struggled against!"

"Trying to get us killed?" Inner Sakura yelled.

"Sakura... you guys are the ones who saved me while I was struggling," Kakashi said. "you guys are growing rapidly. Especially Naruto. You've improved the most."

'Well, he does seem a bit better than before but...' Sakura thought.

"Well, this is just some training until I get better, you still won't be able to defeat him without me," Kakashi said.

"If Zabuza is still alive, what is stopping him from attacking us while you are down and we are training?" Sakura asked.

"The death state he was put into makes it so that the person's body shuts down and it takes a while to return to normal," Kakashi explained.

"So we train until then," Naruto said, "sounds like fun!"

"That's not fun," a kid said, appearing out of nowhere.

"Inari! Where were you?" Tazuna asked excitedly.

"Welcome back grandpa," the boy, Inari, said as he took off his sandals and walked over to the table.

"Inari, say hello to these people," Tsunami said, "they are the ninja who protected grandpa."

The boy looked at the five ninja. "Mom, they are going to die."

"What did you say, brat?" Naruto yelled.

"Nobody can win against Gato," the boy said grimly.

Ammy chuckled slightly and walked up to the table. She leaned in close to his face, her eyes hardening into a cold glare as she stared Inari in the eyes, freezing him to the core. Her nails dug into the table, leaving faint trails in their wake. "Kid, I've been killed twice by better people than some old fool who can't do the dirty work on his own," she hissed quietly before she went over to a window to watch the water. The only other person who had heard her was Sasuke. Inari took a good look at the ninja in his house and scoffed, mumbling about dead idiots.

"You brat! I'll-" Naruto yelled as he made to rush the kid, but Sakura stopped him. "Why are you getting angry at a child, you idiot!" Sakura yelled.

"Hey Inari! Listen!" Naruto yelled, "I am the super hero who will one day be an incredible ninja called Hokage! I don't know about this Gato guy, but he has nothing on me!"

"Are you stupid?" Inari said, "there is no such thing as a hero." Naruto tried to rush the kid again, but Sakura stopped him once again. "If you don't want to die, you should leave," Inari said as he turned away. Ammy jumped out of the window to make herself comfortable under a tree nearby.

"Inari! Where are you going?" Tazuna asked.

"To look at the ocean from my room," Inari said, then left.

A few minutes later, Naruto was headed to Inari's room to give him a piece of his mind, but heard the boy crying and left him alone.

[An hour later]

The four genin and chakra exhausted sensei were in a small clearing with a few tall trees.

"We will start the training now," Kakashi said, crossing his arms.

"Hell Yeah!" Naruto yelled, pumped up to Naruto level excitement.

"Before that, we need to talk about chakra," Kakashi said, sounding absolutely thrilled.

"Chakra? What's that?" Naruto asked. Ammy gaped at him.

"You're and ninja and you don't know what chakra is? What did you learn in class?" Sakura yelled.

Naruto chuckled, "I used to sleep through the hard lessons."

Kakashi ran his hand down his face. She looked to Sakura, who gave Naruto a lesson on chakra. Naruto wondered about why she labeled the scroll 'beautiful young girl Sakura's lesson on chakra,' not really paying as much attention to her lesson as he should have. She shoved it into his arms and told him to read it later. Naruto looked like he was ready to enshrine the first physical object that Sakura had given him.

"I didn't completely understand that, but it has something you learn with the body, right?" Naruto said, pissing Sakura off.

"Naruto is right, for once," Sasuke said, "we can already use chakra and ninjutsu."

"You aren't using either of them properly," Kakashi stated.

"What?" Naruto yelled.

"Listen...releasing chakra means bringing out physical and spiritual energy and mixing them within your body. Based on what jutsu is being used, the type and amount of chakra used is different," Ammy explained while reading from a scroll, "you guys aren't using it right. Even if you release massive amounts of chakra, it's worthless if you have pathetic control and the jutsu fails. It is also a waste of chakra and it will prevent you from fighting for too long. You will just become a next to useless meat shield. You still don't know how to limit the chakra to what you need for the jutsu, that is control."

"So...what are we doing?" Naruto asked as he scratched the back of his head, not listening well again.

"Simple, you will receive training to gain more chakra control," Kakashi said.

"What are we going to do?" Sakura asked, mildly worried.

"Tree climbing," he said.

"Tree climbing?" Naruto was confused.

"Yeah," Ammy said simply with a few sparkles around her face.

"What kind of training is that?" Sakura asked. 'W-where are those sparkles coming from and why are they there?'

"Listen until the end!" Kakashi said sternly as he lightly slapped Sakura's shoulder, "you are going to climb only using your feet. No hands, no arms, no legs, no teeth, just your feet."

Naruto was smiling, thinking of how fun it sounded. Sasuke was mildly surprised. "How?" Sakura asked.

"Watch," Kakashi said. He stood with his arms at his sides and inhaled, then exhaled slowly. The ninja bolted for a tree, then ran up the tree in a spiral, as if it were the ground. The genin were all surprised at this feat.

"He's climbing," Naruto said. "Straight up and with only her feet," Sakura finished. Ammy smiled. Sasuke just stared.

"Understand?" Kakashi asked as he flipped down off the trunk and stood on a branch with his back to them, then back slid on it so he was upside down on the branch, "gather chakra on the bottom of your feet and climb up the tree. This is something you can do once you have proper control."

"How is learning to climb trees going to make us stronger?" Sakura yelled.

Kakashi looked down, er, up at them as he leaned against the tree from her branch, "this teaches you how to control chakra and to bring out as much as you need for this. As you should know, this is the most important part of using jutsu. This is kind of difficult even for me, an experienced ninja. The amount of chakra needed is small and has to be done properly. It is also said that the bottom of the feet is the most difficult place to gather chakra. Simply put, if you learn this, you should be able to use many different jutsu because of your increased control."

Naruto was shaking with excitement.

"You also, as a result of this, develop the stamina needed for proper chakra control," Kakashi said as he stared at Sakura, "depending on the jutsu, control of chakra can be difficult. In battle, you are often in motion while using jutsu, making it even more difficult to focus. From this training, you develop the stamina needed for the control," he pulled out four kunai, "talkin' all day isn't going to accomplish much. This is something that, as Naruto said, you learn with your bodies."

He threw the kunai to the feet of the genin. "Use those kunai to mark how high you up the tree you got and then try to surpass it," the scarecrow said, "you guys will need to run up the tree like I did so make sure to get a good running start. Also, return those when you are finished with them. I only have eleven of them with me."

"This is nothing!" Naruto yelled, "I could do this for breakfast cause I'm the most improved!"

"Pick a tree and put your skills where your mouth isn't," Kakashi said, knowing a good challenge was the perfect motivation for the young Uzumaki.

Naruto gathered chakra to his feet, as did the others. They all ran for a different tree. Naruto didn't focus enough chakra and bounced off the tree to fall on his head. Sasuke ran up a few feet before his chakra blew him off the tree. He quickly swiped the kunai at the tree to mark his progress. 'I didn't think it would be this hard,' Sasuke thought, 'too much chakra and you break the bark...too little and you pull a Naruto.'

"This is easy!" a happy voice chirped from the trees.

Sakura was sitting on the highest safe branch of her tree, her kunai embedded at about chest level. She has chuckling and sticking her tongue out at her teammates and temporary sensei.

"Looks like Sakura is the best now..." Ammy said, hoping to goad Naruto into working harder.

"You're great Sakura-chan!" Naruto yelled happily while Sasuke ignored the pink haired girl. Sakura slumped her shoulders, depressed that Sasuke had brushed her off again.

"Not only is she smart, but she has great chakra control and okay stamina," Kakashi said, "looks like Sakura is closest to being Hokage, unlike someone I know," he teased. He then looked at Sasuke, "I guess Konoha is better off without the Uchiha if Sasuke is an example an Uchiha's 'genius' shinobi. A clanless girl is beating you easily."

"Shut up!" Sakura yelled, "you'll make Sasuke-kun hate me!' he sighed, thinking that Sakura was way too hung up on Sasuke.

'Naruto and Sasuke have incredible chakra reserves,' the jōnin thought, 'if this works out well, they could become quite powerful.' He stopped hanging on the branch and fell to another one, which he used to safely land on the ground. "By the way Ammy-chan, why aren't you training?"

"Oh I'm about to." She grinned rolling up her sleeves and holding the kuni up, parallel to her face. She ran up, and in one fell swoop reached the top of the tree and sliced the tip off. She returned to the ground with a flip, landing next to Kakashi and handed him the sprig that she cut off and the kuni. "Here." Sakura and Naruto gaped while Sasuke stole a long stare towards her. She giggled.

Ammy went off to the side to sharpen her taijutsu, ninjutsu and tool use, hating her own uselessness in the last two battles. Something else bothered her as well. Her chakra reserves seemed to have been more than halved since the last time she could mold chakra. Whether it was a side effect of having her chakra sealed for a year and a half or something else, she didn't know.

Inari was watching from a distance, thinking of how they were wasting their time.

[A building somewhere in the forest...]

Gato and two tall men walked into the room, the men being Gato's samurai bodyguards.

"So even you, Demon of the Mist Zabuza, came back defeated," Gato said, "guess Mist ninja really aren't that useful after all if you can't even get revenge for your men." The samurai moved to draw their swords. Haku tensed, ready to stop the attack. "One moment," Gato said, halting his men, "You don't need to stay quiet...maybe-!"

Haku grabbed Gato's arm and crushed it, breaking the bones. "Don't touch Zabuza with your filthy hands," he threatened. The samurai drew their katanas to defend their master, but Haku took their katanas before that and held them to each man's throats. "You shouldn't do that," Haku said, "I'm angry..."

"One more chance!" Gato yelled, "fail again and I will have you chased out!" Gato and his men stormed out.

"You didn't have to do that," Zabuza said, showing a kunai in his hand.

"I know," Haku said, "but we can't kill Gato yet. We will only be hunted again if we cause trouble. We have to be patient"

"You're right," Zabuza said.

[Back with team 7...]

Naruto fell down once again. Sasuke had barely made any progress since his first attempt, maybe a whole foot if he was lucky. Sakura was lying down at the base of her tree, exhausted and marveling at her teammate's stamina. Ammy was lying on the grass, curled into a ball, snoozing lightly, fatigued from the excess training. Sasuke glanced toward her 'She looks cute sleeping. Peaceful.'.

'Naruto isn't getting anywhere,' Sakura thought, 'he should give up soon.'

Naruto turned away from the tree angrily and started to walk away. 'I knew it. He's too easy to read. Huh?' she thought as Naruto walked up to her.

"Umm, Sakura-chan?" he asked, "can you give me some tips?" Sakura just stared at him, then blushed a bit before explaining her methods.

'That kid is going to get more and more powerful,' Kakashi thought as he felt his chakra, 'his potential for chakra is above Sasuke's and many of the ninja I know of and it is all thanks to Kyūbi and his father.


	9. Chapter 9

**Ammy: Now before Sakura realizes...**

**okamiAmaterasu2012: we'll do the intro! *high fives her* So...**

**Ammy: we're headed torwards-**

**Sakura: WE'RE HEADED TORWARDS THE END OF THE MIST ARC! SHANNARO!**

**okamiAmaterasu2012:*smacks sakura with a rolled up Hunger games magazine*Bad Sakura! NARUTO! SASUKE! I TOLD YOU GUYS NOT TO UNTIE HER!**

**Naruto:-pant- sorry-pant- she tore out **

**Sasuke:-pant- hn. -pant- she's excited today.**

**okamiAmaterasu2012: *sigh* whatever. I don't own the Naruto franchise. Kishimoto-Sensei does. **

**Chapter 9**

Sakura was stretching while yawning, bored. She had nothing to do other than watch Tazuna and the others work on the bridge. "You seem bored all by yourself," Tazuna said, "Where is that blonde kid and the other two?"

"They're training," Sakura answered. "You don't have too?" Tazuna asked. "I already completed the training so Kakashi-sensei told me to guard you," the pink haired girl bragged.

"Tazuna!"

The old bridge builder looked back to see one of his old friends. "What is it Giichi?"

"I've been thinking...Can I stop working on the bridge?" Giichi asked.

"Why? Why you too?" Tazuna asked.

"Tazuna..." Giichi said, "we've been close for a while and I do want to help you...but if this continues, Gato will notice us. If you die, what's the point?" Giichi took a deep breath, "we should quit building this bridge."

"I can't do that," Tazuna said, "this is our bridge. This is the bridge we started building together, believing we could bring resources into our poor country."

"But if we die?" Giichi protested.

"It's noon, let's stop for today," Tazuna said as he walked away. He looked back at the other man, "Giichi, you don't have to come tomorrow."

In the village streets, Sakura walked next to Tazuna, guarding him. "I'm supposed to bring the food for lunch home," Tazuna said. Sakura was stunned at how poor and beaten down the village was. They walked into a store and Sakura noticed there was barely anything at all inside.

Without warning, a hand touched Sakura and she reacted as any girl with taijutsu training would. She screamed, "pervert!" and kicked the man in his face even as he tried to explain.

Back on the street, Tazuna was commenting on her outburst when a pair of hands touched her. She turned and saw a child holding his hands out. She gave the child some candy and he went away with a bright smile on his face.

"It's been like this since Gato came," Tazuna explained, "All the adults have given up. That is why I am building the bridge. It is a symbol of courage, a symbol people need so they can abandon their fear and stand up for themselves...If we can finish that bridge...the city will return to how it used to be, how it should be." Sakura thought of her teammates, training hard.

Back where the other three were, Ammy was practicing hand seals while Naruto and Sasuke were running up trees still. Naruto reached his limit and jumped back. He growled at Sasuke's continuing progress despite his renewed efforts. A moment later, Sasuke reached his limit and jumped between the two trees to slow his decent enough to avoid injury. On the way down, he saw Naruto's steady progress compared to his almost stopped progress. 'He's catching up!' Sasuke thought.

'Grrr!' Naruto growled in anger, then remembered what Sakura had told him. Clear his head, relax and focus. He did so and took a step forward to try again when-

"Hey Naruto!" Sasuke called, causing Naruto to fall on his face. "What is it?" Naruto yelled, "I'm trying to train here! Your eyes just for show?"

"PFFFFT" Naruto and Sasuke stole a glance at the source and found Ammy literally rolling on the ground, clutching her stomach, her legs flailing about, suppressing a huge fit of laughter.

Sasuke looked nervous and just hummed and mumbled. "What?" Naruto said, 'why is he talking to me?'

"What did...Sakura tell...you?" Sasuke asked as he looked away.

A goofy smile spread across Naruto's face. "Secret," he said.

Later that night, the two were attempting to set eating speed records, sort of like how Naruto held the speed record (and quantity record) in Konoha for ramen eating. "This is good," Tazuna said heartily, "It's been so long since we had so many people over." Ammy had looked at the meal and said, "No sweets," but ate anyways without further complaint. The two boys finished and held their bowls up. "More," they said, then promptly puked on the floor, grossing Sakura out. Ammy winced with a tick mark on her forehead.

"If you're just gonna throw up, then don't eat it!" Sakura chastised, more towards Naruto than Sasuke of course.

"No, I have to eat," Sasuke said after recovering.

"Yeah, we need to so we can become stronger," Naruto said as he recovered.

'That's right,' Kakashi thought, finally well enough to walk with the assistance of a crutch, 'no need to throw up though.'

After eating, Sakura was looking a picture with the top right corner ripped out. "Why do you have a torn picture on the wall?," she asked, "Inari-kun was staring at it all the time. It also looks like someone tore it that way on purpose..."

Tsunami, Tazuna and Inari suddenly became stiffer. Kakashi felt the tension in the air while Ammy smelled a change in the air. "It's my husband," Tsunami said, not turning to face the others. "He was also the man this city called a hero," Tazuna said.

Inari got up and walked to the door. "Where are you going Inari?" Tsunami asked. His response was a slamming door. "Inari!" Tsunami yelled after her son, she then turned to her father angrily, "I told you not to talk about him in front of Inari!" She went away as well.

"What's wrong with Inari-kun?" Sakura asked. Naruto felt a stab. Why was it that every boy other than him got a -kun on the end of their name?

"Inari's father wasn't his blood related father, but they were just as close as a real father and son could be...he laughed a lot back then." The older man stopped as he cried a little at the old memories, then he composed himself and continued, "But he changed since that incident with his father..." The ninja waited for the older man to continue. "On the day of that incident, courage was robbed from Inari and the people's hearts."

"Incident?" Kakashi asked, "what happened to Inari-kun?"

Tazuna explained about how Inari had met a man named Kaiza who had saved Inari from drowning because of some bullies. He told of how he had become a part of Tazuna's family and how he had helped stop a flood from destroying part of the city, making the man a hero. "But when Gato came to this city..." the older man stopped his story.

"What happened?" Kakashi asked, "was it this 'incident' that happened?"

Tazuna shook in anger, "Kaiza was put to death before everyone as a warning to everyone... Since then, Inari changed, then Tsunami, then the whole village."

Naruto listened to the tale and remembered Inari's speech about heroes and then the boy's crying. He got up to leave, but tripped. "What are you doing Naruto?" Sakura asked as Naruto slammed into the ground.

"No training," Kakashi ordered, "you used too much chakra and it could kill you if you release more."

"I'm gonna prove it," Naruto said as he got up. "Prove what?" Sakura asked. Naruto walked out of the house, "I'm going to show this world that heroes do exist."

The next morning, Sakura came down with a loud yawn. Tazuna saw her. "Naruto didn't come back last night?" he asked. Sakura sat down, "he was out climbing trees after that story...Simple idiot that he is. He probably overdid it and died." The last comment was a joke, but Tsunami took it seriously. "I hope he's alright," she said, "a child in the woods at night..."

"Don't worry," Kakashi said, "he may look like that, but he is a real ninja."

"Honestly...I wouldn't be surprised if he overdid it and killed himself," Sasuke said in all seriousness, "he is a moron after all." At that point, Ammy stood up declaring that she was going to look for Naruto and left. Sasuke followed her.

Naruto, who had worked himself to the point of passing out, was woken up by a cute, older girl. "You'll catch a cold sleeping out her," she said. Naruto sat up and rubbed his eyes, "who are you?" he asked.

A few minutes later Naruto found the plant the girl was looking for and was helping her pick some. "This plant is medicine?" he asked as he looked at the plant. "Yes. Thanks for helping," she said.

"You are working real early today lady," Naruto said.

"You too", she replied, "what are you doing out here anyways?"

Naruto smiled, "training!"

She blinked at him, "that forehead protector, are you a ninja?" she asked.

"Yep, I'm a ninja!" Naruto said happily.

"Why are you training?" she asked.

"I want to be stronger," Naruto said, his smile growing bigger.

"But you look strong already," she said.

"No! I need to get even stronger!" Naruto countered.

"Why?" she asked.

"So I become the best ninja in my village and then everyone will respect me," Naruto said, "I also have something to prove."

"Is it personal or is it for someone else?" she asked. Naruto stared at her like she spoke a foreign language, causing her to giggle. "What is so funny?" Naruto exploded. "Do you have an important person?" she asked. Naruto, as many would guess, didn't get it. "When you have an important person to protect, then you become much, much stronger," she said. Naruto remembered things that proved her words to be true, then said, "yeah, I know what you mean."

She smiled and stood up, walking away. "You will become very strong," she said, "let's meet again sometime."

"Yeah!" Naruto said.

She stopped for a moment. "Before I forget," she said, "I'm a boy." Naruto freaked out, wondering how a boy could be cuter than Sakura. Sasuke and Ammy walked up as Naruto pondered how strange the world was.

Ammy sneezed. "Too many herbs," she complained as she rushed to get away from the boy and his scent.

The next day, Sakura and Kakashi went to find Naruto and Sasuke so they could eat breakfast. Ammy had left a clone to go with them and stayed behind with Tazuna, having "done all the training I can for now," as she said.

"Where is Naruto?" Kakashi asked, "he left again last night..."

"He missed breakfast," Sakura said, "Sasuke-kun also went for a walk and isn't back yet."

A kunai fell to the ground near them, causing them to look up and find a smiling Naruto looking at them from a branch near the top, laying down on it.

"He's already up there?" she asked. Kakashi just chuckled. Ammy smiled.

"Look at how high I can go already!" he yelled. He then stood up and lost his balance. The trio watched helplessly as Naruto fell back, only for him to stick to the bottom of the branch. "Just kidding!" he chuckled.

"You scared me!" Sakura yelled. 'Good, now I can kill you later myself!' Inner Sakura yelled.

Naruto's feet suddenly lost their grip of the tree, his chakra finally running too low or his focus was lost. "Stop being a show off!" Sakura yelled. Naruto would have fallen, but Sasuke ran up the tree and grabbed his foot. "Moron," the Uchiha said. "You're the best Sasuke-kun!" Sakura squealed. Kakashi smiled at how well they were growing as they all went back to Tazuna's house.

A little while later, Kakashi was doing pushups with one finger while Tazuna and Sakura sat on his back. He was up to 198. "I was going to ask earlier, but why are you here? Protecting someone who lied to you?" Tazuna asked. "Abandoning one's duty is not courageous," Kakashi explained, "under courage is nothing. That is what the Yondaime Hokage said. Shinobi don't move only because of money." He then got up and noticed how he was almost fully recovered.

[Zabuza's hideout]

Zabuza tested his body's recovery by manipulating the water in an apple with his chakra. The apple burst apart. "You've almost fully recovered," Haku said. "We will attack soon, Haku," Zabuza ordered. Haku agreed.

**XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX**

Naruto and Sasuke entered the hut, both beaten up from training, but Naruto looked like he floored himself since Sasuke had to help him. They sat down and ate their meal in peace. When it was over, Inari stared at Naruto, who looked ready to nap right there on the table. His expression changed from boredom to anger quickly.

"What is wrong with you!" Inari yelled, "no matter how much you try, Gato can't be beaten! You'll just die! Leave this village while you have a chance!"

Everyone looked at the boy after he stopped yelling, everyone except Naruto and Ammy. She was rubbing her ears and Naruto looked like he was thinking with his eyes closed. He suddenly opened his eyes and glared at the boy. "At least I'm trying something instead of running away like a whiny little brat and bawling myself to sleep!" Naruto snapped. Inari was shocked at this, but recovered quickly. "You don't know anything about our village, about me!" Inari yelled, "you don't know how it is!"

"You got that right," Naruto said, "I wouldn't know what it is to be a useless little brat who only cries day in, day out." Inari ran out of the room and went to the dock. Naruto sat there while Sakura yelled at him. Ammy curled up in a corner to sleep while Sasuke tended to a few persistent wounds. Kakashi saw the chance to slip away and did so, but not to read his book. That would happen later.

Outside, he found the small boy glaring at the water and throwing rocks into it. Kakashi sat next to Inari and waited for him to run out of rocks.

"You know..." Kakashi said, "Naruto doesn't really hate you." Inari was shocked at that. "You and him are similar...that is why he said that."

"How?" Inari asked angrily.

"Naruto lost his father too," Kakashi said, causing Inari to lose his anger, "actually, he never met either of his parents since they died very soon after his birth, so he has been alone his whole life. He is probably tired of crying all the time... He knows how hard it is and is just trying to cheer you up in his...unique way." Inari looked at the water. "But he knows it can be better," Kakashi said, "he recently made friends and is finally being accepted." Kakashi stood up, leaving the boy to think by himself.

[Next day]

"Bye sensei, Sakura-chan, Sasuke, dad," Tsunami said.

"Make sure to take care of Naruto," Kakashi told Tsunami, "he used too much chakra yesterday and should be down till tomorrow. You guard Inari-kun and Tsunami-san while we are away, Ammy." The girl nodded. The Jōnin, bridge builder and two genin left.

[Bridge]

The area was completely deserted. "What is going on?" Tazuna asked. A thick mist rolled in and Zabuza and the hunter-nin walked out of it. The Konoha ninja fell into a defensive position around Tazuna.

"I'm not too shocked to see that fake hunter-nin next to him," Sakura said. The other two nodded.

"Kakashi...I see you at least dumped one of those trash genin, but you surprise me," Zabuza said, "getting rid of such a useful tool as Kaneko...has your mind started to rot?"

"Tool?" Sasuke asked.

"Heh heh heh," Zabuza chuckled, "all shinobi are tools to be used by greater people, whether it is higher ranked ninja or a rich man."

"Disgusting," Sakura said.

"It is somewhat true though," Kakashi said.

"Enough," Zabuza said and summoned more mist. Zabuza clones walked up and drew their swords. "Poor kid," they said as they saw the shaking Uchiha, "still scared."

Sasuke smirked and performed a rapid speed slashing attack with his kunai, destroying all the clones. "I'm not shaking in fear," Sasuke said, "it's excitement."

"Impressive," Zabuza said, "he is rather skilled. Looks like you may have a rival in speed, Haku."

"Even though they only possess one tenth the strength," the hunter-nin stated, "cutting down six is an impressive feat." Sasuke gave one of his trademark grunts and a smirk.

Back at Tsunami's house, Naruto suddenly burst out of the room. "Kakashi-sensei! Sasuke? Sakura-chan?" he asked as he looked around. He was about to call for Ammy when she and Tsunami walked out of the kitchen. "Naruto-kun?" Tsunami asked, "shouldn't you be resting?" Ammy was holding a knife and a cutting board, which she had accidentally cut in two with the knife.

"AHHH! Dammit!" Naruto said as he started shrugging off his pajamas and started getting dressed, "they left me behind...AGAIN!" He finished getting dressed and rushed out the door. "Naruto!" Ammy yelled as she tossed what she was carrying behind her, then ran out to follow him. The knife fell into the sink and the cutting board pieces landed in the garbage.

She found Naruto running across the forest floor, seeming to head for Tazuna's bridge. Ammy followed him in the trees. "Naruto!" Ammy yelled, "slow down! Even with your stamina, you need to take it easy!" Naruto didn't seem to listen. She was about to yell again when she noticed she was about to hit a tree. She slammed into it on all fours and stuck for a moment, but chakra burst from her hands and feet, blasting apart the bark as she was catapulted backwards. 'Damn! And after all of that training with Kaguya-sama!' she thought as she flew backwards, unable to stop herself or change which way she was facing. She looked back and saw a tree coming at her. "Damn," she cursed again as she slammed into the tree and was knocked unconscious. 'It never helps to be as skinny and light as a rake...' were her last thoughts as she fell to the forest floor, sitting against the tree she had slammed into.

Naruto hadn't noticed his petite teammate following him or her knocking herself out, but he did hear the bushes shake and a strange noise make it to his ears. He drew a kunai and cautiously approached the source of the noise.

Back on the bridge, Sakura stayed with Tazuna. Sasuke was next to Kakashi. Both were ready to fight their respective targets.

"I guess it's time to end this," Kakashi said as he went to right his headband.

"Sharingan again?" Zabuza asked, "Is that all you can do?"

Before Kakashi could move the headband, Zabuza flashed out of the mist and struck at Kakashi with a Mist village assassination kunai, but Kakashi put his right hand in the way and the knife pierced it instead. He glared furiously at the assassin.

"You know," Zabuza said, "I had my partner here, Haku, watch the entire battle last time. Not only is he strong, but he's very smart. He only needs to see a jutsu once and then he can come up with a way to beat it."

"Really?" Kakashi asked, then lifted his headband to reveal he had uncovered the Sharingan.

"The Sharingan isn't something you should be showing off again and again," Zabuza said as he closed his eyes, freed his weapon, and faded into the mist. Kakashi's eyes searched around for a sign of attack. "That is useless," Zabuza said, "since the Sharingan, like all dōjutsu, allows you to see chakra, I used more chakra than normal to make this mist. There is too much chakra for you to see me."

'He's right,' Kakashi thought. He got a kunai ready anyways. "How do you expect to defeat the Sharingan with mist?"

"Simple," the assassin said from the mist, "the Sharingan is nothing more than reading and genjutsu based dōjutsu. If you can't see me, then it can't copy my jutsu. If I can't see you, then genjutsu won't work."

"But how will you attack?" Kakashi asked, marveling at the plan.

"You forget Kakashi," Zabuza said, "I am an expert in silent killing. I can track you by sound." As if to prove it, Zabuza appeared from nowhere and sliced Kakashi's chest with his sword. He then faded away again.

"You seem to forget as well," Kakashi said, "I was in ANBU too. Sharingan alone wasn't what let me survive all my battles."

A small distance away in the fog, Haku and Sasuke faced each other. The Uchiha had been drawn out by the hunter-nin threatening his client. Sasuke threw some shuriken Haku deflected them with his needles, then noticed Sasuke had used them as a distraction so he could draw closer. Sasuke swung his kunai at Haku, who blocked it, then moved his head as Sasuke threw the kunai at short range, thought it still scratched his mask. Haku shoved him away, and jumped back. He heard the shuriken coming at him and kept dodging back as three shuriken forced him back. A fourth slammed into the bridge railing and caught his attention. He only noticed it was a feint when the heir punched him in the chest, though he caught the hand afterwards.

The two stared at each other as they were deadlocked. "I think it is time to finish this," Haku said. "How so?" Sasuke asked, "the way I see it, I'm winning." Haku chuckled, "I have two advantages. First, the water on the floor. Second, I have tied up one of your hands." The fake hunter then performed a number of seals with one hand. 'W-what?' Sasuke thought,'one handed seals?' The water started to glow with chakra and what appeared to be mirrors of ice rose up from the ground to surround the two. "Makyō Hyōshō," Haku said as he released Sasuke and jumped back and into a mirror. All the mirrors showed Haku holding his needles.

"Bunshin?" Sasuke asked.

Light bounced off a mirror and Sasuke was engulfed in what felt like a storm of pointed blades. When they let up, he almost fell over. 'That wasn't a bunshin. What the hell was it?' the heir thought.

Kakashi and Zabuza got a brief view of the ice mirrors, then the mist engulfed the two young ninja again.

"What was that?" Kakashi asked.

"You should know Kakashi, since you possess one in that eye of yours," Zabuza said.

"What?" Sakura asked.

"Kekkai Genkai," Zabuza stated.

"Kekkai Genkai? What is that?" Sakura asked, never hearing of them before.

"It is a jutsu passed on through the blood," Kakashi said, "a jutsu that is literally written in one's DNA. Superior ninja through selective breeding. The Sharingan is one of them, though it can't copy other Kekkai Genkai."

"Jutsu written in...blood," Sakura whispered. The thought of such a thing was fearsome.

"I sure do have a useful tool, don't I Kakashi?" Zabuza asked from the mist, "unlike the trash that follows you around."

"My students aren't trash," Kakashi said, "Sasuke also possesses one of those bloodlines."

"That dark haired brat?" Zabuza asked.

"He is the last of the Uchiha," Kakashi said, "he is also the top rookie and a prodigy."

"A survivor from that tragic clan..." Zabuza said, "he still won't win and that doesn't help you at all."

Kakashi smiled. "Sakura is the brightest of all the genin graduates from this year. Ammy, as you know, is one of the greatest of Konoha's sword bearing ninja and she even has eyes comparable to my own Sharingan when it comes to reading an opponent's movements." His smile grew wider. "Then there is Naruto..."

"What about that blonde idiot?" Zabuza asked, getting bored of this.

"He is the #1 loudest, #1 most unpredictable ninja in all of Konoha," Kakashi said, "if not the world."

Back at Tsunami's house, Gato's samurai guards had captured her as insurance in case Zabuza proved to be ineffective. She was tied up and sitting on the floor when her brat broke in. "What are you doing?" the boy yelled. "Tch," the one with the hat turned to face the kid and started thinking. "Gato said we only needed one hostage..." the other said. Both snickered as they drew their swords and walked up to the kid.

"STOP IT!"

They turned to the captive woman as she glared at them. "If you harm him in any way," she threatened, "I will bite my tongue and kill myself." Inari looked at his mother with tears in his eyes, scared both were going to die. "Maybe bodies will be better," the hat wearing one said as he and his partner rushed up and cut Inari down.

"NOOOOOOOOO!" Tsunami screamed, then fainted.

The samurai knew something was off. They enjoyed cutting things up so much that they could tell when their blades bit flesh and when they didn't. A dull clonk and three pieces of wood falling to the ground proved their thoughts right. 'Kawarimi?' they thought. A moment later, both were beaten down by a couple Naruto clones. Naruto cancelled his jutsu and freed Tsunami, then tied up the two samurai. He noticed Inari staring at him, tears streaming down his face. "What?" Naruto asked. "You're going to make fun of me again," Inari said as he furiously wiped at the tears, "you'll call me a crybaby again."

"Why would I make fun of happy tears?" Naruto asked with his 'I don't get it' look, which broke into a sunny smile, "it's okay to cry if you're happy."

Inari wiped his tears away and nodded. "Think you can handle this?" Naruto asked. "Yeah!" Inari cheered. Naruto turned away and started to head in the direction he had come from, but Inari stopped him. "Naruto...the bridge is that way," Inari said as he pointed off to Naruto's right. Naruto smiled, "thanks." He started to go, "it is tough bein' a hero."

"Yeah!" Inari yelled as the ninja ran off. Inari then went back to his place to get ready. It was time to actually do something.


	10. Chapter 10: The Things I Do For You

***sigh* Now guys don't get all up on me for not updating in a month. Please. I had this chapter planned out and ready to be posted weeks ago, but I hate it. I still do really. Only this one part. And I don't want to update it because of that part but I have to get it over with to let the story go on right? Yeeeaaaaaa… Review! And if it sucks tell me. If it rocks, tell me. If it needs work, tell me. You get the idea. But, if it was the shittiest thing you read… don't bother. And by the way… SASUKE! YOUR TURN FOR THE DISCLAIMER!**

**Sasuke: -.-… Hn. OkamiAmatarasu2012-San doesn't own Naruto****tm****. So don't sue her.**

**Ammy: Hey duck-butt-head! You finally spoke for more than 8 words!*starts running around him chanting it* **

**Sigh… well. Read on.**

**Chapter 10:**

Sasuke slowly got up. By now, he knew that all his wounds were nowhere near fatal. They might not be able to kill him, but they hurt more than pushing himself to run with tree climbing. Just as he got up, another volley of blinding attacks struck him. This time was different though, he could see some of it and he avoided some of the blows.

'This boy...can he see me?' Haku thought. He launched another series of attacks and was surprised when even more of his blows missed.

'Just a little,' Sasuke thought, 'it is only a bit, but I can see it.' He kept himself up and waited for the next attack.

At this point, Kakashi was getting worried. Zabuza wasn't attacking. Most likely, he was letting the weakening chakra signature from Sasuke get Kakashi rattled enough so he could deliver a fatal blow. The mist cleared so he could see the ice mirrors again. 'Why...!' he saw a number of shuriken fly out of the mist and fly towards Sasuke. He moved to throw his own kunai, but a number of needles struck the shuriken and knocked them down.

"Haku?" Zabuza asked as he, or possibly a bushin, walked out of the mist.

"I want to fight this boy myself, Zabuza-san," Haku said, "allow me this bit of selfishness."

Zabuza regarded his young partner, then sighed, "you are really too soft. So be it." The mist covered everything again.

"I guess it's almost time to finish this," Zabuza said as the sound of his sword being drawn was heard.

"You're right," Kakashi said as he held his kunai up, ready for any blow.

Back in the ice mirrors, Sasuke dodged a blow and almost hit Haku, but the fake hunter jumped out of range and back into another mirror. He moved out again, only his face, and pulled back as a kunai almost hit him. A huge blast of smoke appeared outside of the mirrors and it broke open to reveal Naruto. "NARUTO OF THE LEAF APPEARS!" he yelled out. Kakashi smiled, 'he is the loudest, though I wonder if he is truly a ninja sometimes...'

Zabuza and Haku both thought of him being the loudest and most unpredictable and they knew it was true.

'This is good,' Sasuke thought as he pulled his sorry self off the ground, 'with my attacks from inside and Naruto's attacks from outside, we can-'

"Yo!" Naruto said, right in Sasuke's face, "I'm here to save you."

"Idiot!" Sasuke yelled, "why are you in here?"

"I'm saving you, what else?" Naruto said as if it was known to everyone but Sasuke.

"Idiot! A ninja doesn't walk into the middle of an enemy's jutsu," the heir yelled, "forget it! I don't care what happens to you anymore!"

Before the fight could continue, Haku attacked the two ninja from all directions. When it was over, both Naruto and Sasuke were barely able to stand. Another volley of attacks knocked Naruto down and out. Sasuke cursed the slow idiot, then focused on his own survival.

"If I have to," Haku said, "I will cut my heart and kill the two of you."

"What?" Sasuke asked, not understanding.

"I will kill my kind heart and become a true ninja," Haku said, "at that time, you and Naruto will die."

"Don't give up Sasuke-kun!" Sakura yelled, then added, with far less enthusiasm, "you too Naruto."

'Way too stuck up on him...' Zabuza, Kakashi and Haku thought.

"Don't egg them on Sakura," Kakashi warned. She was about to protest when he said, "that boy is already able to kill if he wants to. They aren't ready to kill an opponent on purpose, not yet."

Sasuke attempted to burn the mirrors apart with his fire jutsu, but it didn't work. 'This is a bloodline limit...of course a normal jutsu wouldn't work on it,' Sasuke thought. He started to get frustrated. First he couldn't do a thing after all his training, now he was being toyed with. His anger boiled.

Another volley of super fast attacks were launched at Sasuke, but this time there wasn't a single hit. 'What happened?' Haku thought as he went to return to his mirror, but a shuriken almost hit him. He made it into another mirror. He looked at the heir and saw the boy's eyes had partially awakened. 'Sharingan,' Haku thought and started to come up with another strategy. He decided to test the genin's speed and flashed out and attempted to deliver a hard kick to his face, but Sasuke dodged it and almost landed a blow of his own. 'Too fast,' Haku thought as he retreated again, 'his eyes can track me now, though it isn't perfect yet.'

Sasuke was thinking along the same lines as he felt his already depleted chakra being sapped at an alarming rate. 'I can't hold this for too long,' he kept his eyes on the fake hunter. 'It seems he can move by projecting himself between mirrors by using their reflections,' he thought as he waited for the right moment. Haku didn't attack him, though he did throw needles from almost everywhere. His target was Naruto, and the realization caused Sasuke to cancel out his incomplete Sharingan and move to shield the dobe, but at that moment…

Naruto woke up to the sight of an Ammy pincushion, blocking Sasuke and Naruto. It wasn't funny at all, his teammate was mortally wounded.

"Why?" they asked in unison.

"Cause," Ammy croaked out, "you're my friends..." She tottered for a few moments as blood trickled out of her mouth, "I ..." she said as she fell back past the still shaken Sasuke and was caught by Naruto. "Naruto...Sasuke…don't die to this guy. The things I do for you guys..." Ammy's eyes fluttered closed and she was still.

"Right till the end," Haku said from the safety of his mirrors, "she protected you even to the end. She died a true shinobi."

"Shut up!"

Haku twitched as he felt the sudden, terrible spike of chakra that could only be described as evil. 'What is this?' he thought in a panic. He watched the orange-red chakra tear apart the ground in a spiral and then form what appeared to be some kind of demon's head, sort of like Zabuza's demon of the mist. He watched as the wounds on the short ninja's body healed and the needles that were already in him were forced out. Sasuke watched in a horrified fascination at his murderous chakra.

Sakura suddenly felt Ammy's chakra vanish just as suddenly as it appeared, then Naruto's...changed. It had always kind of made her think of a gentle, refreshing spring sun (Not that we will **ever** admit it!) but now it felt...evil, dark...bloodthirsty. A primal fear in her caused her to shake. The fear that gripped her when Kakashi and Zabuza fought the first time was nothing compared to what she felt now. 'What is this?' she thought, 'what's happening to you Naruto?'

Kakashi's mind went into a panic at the familiar feel of the Kyūbi's terrible chakra. 'Did the seal break?' he thought as he calmed down and felt it, 'no...It hasn't broken, but the seal isn't working properly anymore.' He pulled out a small scroll and cut his thumb with his kunai and drew a trail along the unfurled scroll. "Listen up Zabuza," he said as he formed a seal with the scroll resting on his hands, "I know it isn't your style, but I am going to end this here and now with only two jutsu. Not with copies, but with my own jutsu."

"Oh?" came Zabuza's curious voice, "and how will you do that?"

Back in the mirrors, Haku decided the best way to deal with Naruto was a dash by with needles being thrown into several places that would rob Naruto of movement. He tossed a few needles to mask his attack and moved. Naruto yelled at the needles, knocking them away with a burst of chakra. Haku didn't have time to adjust and abandoned his attack. He then used his mirrors to try to drop on Naruto from above, but Naruto dodged it with ease. 'How is this possible?' Haku thought as he tried to move to another mirror, 'changing chakra, gaining this reaction time, this sudden increase in...everything. It isn't possible! Not even bloodlines grant this sort of power!'

Naruto had obviously gotten bored of Haku and his mirrors since he grabbed Haku's arm and crushed it with inhuman strength. Haku tried to defend himself, but Naruto's chakra enforced fist smashed into his mask and sent him flying through his own mirrors to skid across the ground. His mirrors fell apart as Naruto rushed at the fake hunter's rising form. Haku's mask was falling apart. "Sorry Zabuza-san...I just can't defeat this boy..." Haku said sadly.

Just before Naruto's punch struck, everything faded as if it had never existed. He was back to being a normal genin, no longer an avatar of power and blood lust. "Why? Why for a man like that?" Naruto yelled.

"Because he acknowledged my existence," Haku said, "without him, I am useless."

'He's like me...' Naruto thought, 'but his special person wasn't a kind person like Iruka-sensei.'

"Please, Naruto-kun, kill me," Haku said, "If I am useless to Zabuza-San, then there is no point in living because his needing me is my life." His look told Naruto there wasn't another way, so the young genin drew his kunai and rushed the other boy.

Zabuza was wondering how Kakashi was going to attack when he heard a rumbling in the ground. He realized it a moment too late when some dogs bit down on him, immobilizing him.

"Say hello to my cute little nin-dogs," Kakashi said with a smile, "I told you the Sharingan wasn't my only weapon. I let you cut me so they could track my blood from your weapons. Like how you used your ears, I used their noses."

Zabuza knew that one of the dogs had bit the nerves in his left arm and it wouldn't move for a while. 'He caught me, again,' Zabuza thought, then resigned himself to his fate.

Kakashi formed some hand seals, then held one of his hands down as chakra formed around it. Kakashi formed a blade of lightning chakra. 'Visible chakra?' Zabuza thought, marveling at the technique. Kakashi ran at him.

"Raikiri!"

"Sorry Naruto-kun," Haku said as he caught Naruto's hand and shoved him away. A mirror formed and Haku jumped into it and his image vanished.

At the last moment, an ice mirror rose from the ground and Haku jumped in the way of Kakashi. The lightning jutsu pierced though his heart and Haku grabbed Kakashi's arm to prevent his retreat. Kakashi tried for a few moments to free himself, then realized Haku was dead and the quick summoning scroll had been damaged, cancelling his jutsu.

"Look at this wonderful opportunity that Haku left me," Zabuza said as he lifted his sword with his remaining good arm, "I guess he was useful in the end."

He swung his sword down, but hit nothing. Kakashi reappeared and lay Haku's corpse on the ground. "You can still move like that even when carrying a useless corpse?" Zabuza said. He rushed the silver haired man and attempted to strike again, but Kakashi dodged and slammed two kunai into Zabuza's good arm, rendering it useless.

"I told you once before," Kakashi said, "you will die."

"False predictions again," Zabuza said.

"He is quite right."

The ninja all looked to see Gato and his men surrounding them. The vile man had one of his hands in a cast, the one Haku had broken. He walked forward. "This is exactly how I do things," the old man explained, "I have the ninja weaken each other, and then I kill them off with numbers."

Zabuza stood a bit taller now, out of his battle stance and looking defeated. "Kakashi...I have no reason to fight you now," Zabuza said as he attempted to leave.

"What is wrong with you?" Naruto yelled.

"Naruto, He is no longer out enemy," Kakashi said.

"He is still my enemy!" Naruto yelled, "Haku loved you! You were his world, you were everything to him! This is how you treat him? Everything he did was for you!"

"Kid," Zabuza said.

"Shut up! I'm not through yet!" Naruto yelled back, "even when fighting us, all he cared about was you and how you acknowledged him! Why the hell did he have to meet you?"

"Kid!" Zabuza said more forcefully.

Naruto stopped and noticed that Zabuza was shaking. "You don't have...to say anymore," Zabuza said as tears trailed down his face.

"Touching," Gato said, "guess even Zabuza is nothing more than a baby devil." He then noticed Haku's body and was about to make his way over and kick it.

"That bastard..." Zabuza said as he saw Gato approach them, he then started to tear up the covering over his mouth. "Kid, Naruto! Can I borrow your kunai?" he asked as he finished.

"Yeah," Naruto said as he tossed it. He really didn't want the weapon since it reminded him of trying to kill a person.

A commotion caused Sakura to look and see Zabuza slaughtering Gato's men with a single kunai held in his mouth. He was getting badly wounded, but it was barely slowing him down. He reached Gato, smiling maniacally. "Let's both go to hell and see if even me, a baby devil can become a real devil!" he said as he swung the blade up and beheaded the old man, making the head ricochet off an exposed beam before it fell into the water. Zabuza fell down, finished. The ninja ran over to him, though Sakura just looked at Naruto.

"Sasuke-kun?" she asked. Naruto looked down and gestured back to where the mirrors had been, "No, Ammy-chan…". She ignored him and ran until she saw a silhouette overlooking a crumpled form of a person and she felt fear prick her heart. Tazuna pulled her over to Sasuke, to her relief. But when she looked at Ammy, she held back the tears that were threatening to overflow. "You can cry," Tazuna said. "I studied hard so I could be a ninja and I memorized all the rules... One of them is to not show your emotions," Sakura said as she cried 'I never got a chance to… to be her friend…'

'The life of a ninja, it isn't fair for a child,' Tazuna thought as he watched the girl cry. Sasuke looked like he was holding something back as well.

"Gato's dead!" a mercenary yelled, "guess we'll have to take our pay from the village...I wonder how much we can get?" The others started speaking of pillaging the village. "Kage Bunshin no Jutsu! No way!" Naruto yelled and created fifty blond ninjas. Kakashi sighed and created at least twenty. With these reinforcements and cloned midgets slashing/striking at them wildly, the mercenaries dropped their weapons and ran away. Naruto halted his attack and dispelled his clones, as did Kakashi.

"Kakashi..."

The ninja approached Zabuza, finding him still alive for the moment. "I want to be with Haku," Zabuza said. Kakashi picked him up and carried him over to the other ninja. He placed him next to the boy. "I'm sorry Haku," Zabuza said as he forced his hand to Haku's cheek, "I hope I can go to where you are going." He looked at Naruto, he opened his mouth to speak when-

"Ammy-chan! You're alive!" followed by the pained yelps of the Kaneko as the girl hugged her. "ITAI!" Kakashi laughed a bit, as did Zabuza. "Even in the end, you couldn't kill them," Zabuza chuckled. Ammy stood up with a lot of effort and walked over to the dying rouge-nin, pulling out the needles carefully. "Ammy don't over exert yourself…" "-pant-I'll deal."

"Ammy..." he said, his voice growing weaker, "take my sword, Kubikirihōchō, with you."

"What?" She yelped as she quickly looked at the sword, "that isn't possible. I-"

"I would rather hand it to someone like you rather than have some bastard steal it from my grave," Zabuza said with force, then coughed a few times, "take it. I know you can use it."

Ammy looked uncertainly at her fellow genin, then walked over to the sword. She gripped the handle and pulled it out of the ground, though she almost dropped it right away. She was barely able to hold it with two hands and couldn't even do anything with it, not to mention that she was badly injured.

"That sword she has... Solar Flare is a fire chakra blade that kills it's owner...if possessed...by the...unworthy," Zabuza struggled, he was weakening, "if she can master it, Kubikirihōchō should be easy to master with time." Zabuza smiled as Ammy managed to hold it so it could be carried over her shoulder. He looked up and saw snow falling. "Haku...are you crying?" he asked as he closed his eyes for the last time. A single tear rolled down Haku's face and fell into Zabuza's palm.

[A few days later]

The group was paying their final respect to Haku and Zabuza's graves. Ammy had wrapped the giant blade in a cloth and had rigged some belts to hold it on her back. She swore as she helped bury the two that she would do her best to master the weapon. It was actually amusing to see the girl carrying a weapon larger than her. Solar Flare was pushed through in the girl's belts.

"Is what he said true Sensei?" Sakura asked.

"About shinobi being tools?" Kakashi asked. Sakura nodded. "We are," Kakashi said, "but we still have hearts."

"I'll find my own way to be a ninja," Naruto growled.

Kakashi chuckled at that and turned his students to return to their village.

"Naruto!"

They turned to see Inari, trying his best to not cry.

"Inari, you can cry if you want," Naruto said as he too, tried to stop the tears.

"You can cry Naruto, it is alright," Inari assured.

Naruto turned away. "Later," he said, sounding cool. Sakura looked between the two, noticing they were both bawling the same way. 'Are they twin idiots?' she thought.

Sakura saw Sasuke and ran a little to catch up with him. "Sasuke-kun! How about we go for a date when we get home?" she asked, hopeful that the recent events would make him realize his love for her.

"Are you kidding? If you have time for dates, try to improve your pathetic skills," the heir said, "you really are worse than Naruto..."

"Shut up Sasuke-teme!" Naruto yelled, "if you want, we can go on a date Sakura-chan."

"No way!" Sakura yelled, stomping closer to Ammy. "Boys," Sakura growled.

She didn't say anything because she kind of agreed with Sasuke. Sakura really could use a bit..okay, a lot more practice with jutsu and such.

Ammy got caught up a bit from her oversized cargo. She pulled it free from a root and rushed to catch up with her team, only to trip on a protruding stone and get caught between the dirt road and the large sword on her back.

"Help~!" she wailed while flailing around pitifully.

**sigh i had better chapters before... well hoped you liked it!**

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	11. Chapter 11: Chunin Exams? Hell YES!

**And since i haven't updated it in a month, I'm doing a double upload! Enjoy! **

**Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto.**

**Chapter 11: Chunin Exams? Hell YES!**

Naruto and Sasuke had fully recovered after a brief spell in the hospital. They were up and about, back to weeding and catching Tora again in no time. Talk about dull.

Other odd things were happening as well. Sakura was a bit different around her male teammates. She was clingier with Sasuke because he almost died in Wave. She was also a bit nicer to Naruto. The poor idiot didn't know why though. Ammy was different as well. She hadn't been with Team 7 for half of their recent missions. Her injuries from while in Wave were apparently more severe than they had thought. The doctors were trying to help her recover properly. The few missions she did participate in, she was slower and weaker, steadily getting worse over time. She also didn't eat nearly as much as before, often saying she was full before vanishing to wherever it was that she went when she left.

Kakashi had called them this morning, saying that he had a very important announcement for the whole team. So here they were, on time and no Kakashi to be seen.

"The guy will be late for his own funeral," Ammy growled weakly. She looked way too pale and thin lately. Sasuke grunted his reply 'What's wrong with her…'.

"Yeah yeah!" Naruto cheered, "he'll even be late for when I become Hokage!"

Sakura tapped her foot impatiently. "We should put an alarm clock in his bedroom or something," she mused aloud.

"Wouldn't work."

Everyone jumped and spun around to see Kakashi standing behind them, one hand held up in apology. "I saw a cat in a tree and I had to help it down," Kakashi lied lamely. Ammy snickered at the stupid lie while everyone else ran a hand down their face. "Anyways, I brought you four here to tell you that I am recommending Team 7 for the Chūnin Selection Exam that are coming up, which are conveniently being held here in Konoha," Kakashi said as he held out some papers, "just fill out these forms and report to the room that is listed if you wish to take the exam."

Sakura looked the paper over and noted the date of the exam. "The exam starts in an hour! Why did you wait so long!" she shouted.

"Well, if you do decide to take part in the exam, meet me outside the room marked on the page," Kakashi said as he shunshined away. Sasuke took off, as did Naruto. Ammy rushed after them, yelling at them to slow down a little.

'Are we ready for this? Am I ready?' Sakura thought as she sifted through the memories of what they had accomplished. Wave was mostly Kakashi, though Naruto and Sasuke had done some things a normal genin shouldn't be able to do. What did Sakura manage in that time? She learned how to climb a tree with chakra and she got to taste a hint of what it would be like to lose someone important to her. Add into the mix that Kakashi wouldn't help them during the test and Ammy's declining abilities; it didn't help her confidence in whether or not she was strong or skilled enough to even enter the exams. She was no better than an academy student, even Naruto knew advanced jutsu. She was the weakest link in team 7.

"What!" Ammy said as she crawled between Sakura's legs from behind, getting a squeal of surprise as Naruto and Sasuke came back to see what was happening. "Is!" Ammy growled as she suddenly stood up, using her above average strength to knock Sakura off balance. "Wrong with you?" Ammy finished as she quickly adjusted herself to catch Sakura on her back, hands under the taller girl's thighs. It was a piggyback ride.

"Noooooo!" Sakura wailed in embarrassment as she lightly hit Ammy's shoulder. She didn't want to be carried around by Ammy. She wanted Sasuke to carry her! Naruto blushed at the cute noises his crush was making while Sasuke just grunted.

"Shut up!" Ammy snapped, "you know all of us are near useless at genjutsu without you. Also, we're lucky to have a full brain between the three of us without you around." Sakura's blush vanished as she looked at the top of Ammy's head. Her gaze then shifted to Naruto, who was smiling at her in his usual fashion. Sasuke scratched at his cheek as he looked away while blushing lightly, not wanting to admit that the eldest member of the group had (partially, in his mind) spoken the truth. Sakura smiled, happy that her team would support her like this.

"Ammy..." Sakura said quietly.

"Yes?" the child-like teenager asked.

"Put me down?" Sakura pleaded.

"No~" Ammy chimed and started walking, not listening to Sakura's protests and wails. Naruto listened, the blush on his face never leaving. He decided right then and there: Sakura's embarrassed voice was extremely cute. Sasuke grunted. 'I thought she was good at genjutsu…'

Sakura continued to be carried, her strength proving to be nothing in the face of Ammy's. They climbed the stairs and came upon an interesting scene.

In front of the room they had to go to was a pair of rough looking genin who were just finishing beating on a green spandex wearing genin. He had black hair was bowl cut and he wore bandages on his arms. He had round eyes and...!

'OH MY GOD! ARE THOSE CENTIPEDES ABOVE HIS EYES!' Naruto and Sakura mentally screamed as they saw the young man's thick eye brows. Ammy turned as white as a ghost when she noticed his jumpsuit and hairstyle.

"Weaklings like you should give up!" the genin with a pair of giant kunai on his back said as he kicked a girl wearing a Chinese outfit in the shoulder.

"What the hell are you doing?" Naruto shouted.

"What does it look like?" the other asked, "we are just weeding out the losers who will just take up space."

The other chuckled. "We've gone through this exam a few times and we know you aren't worth the time since we have failed time and again. If we are stronger than you, that means you have no hope of passing."

Sasuke turned around and went to the stairs.

"H-hey!" the kunai wielder yelled after the heir, "where are you going?"

"Isn't it obvious? I'm going to the room we need to go to for the test," Sasuke explained before leaving.

Sakura smiled from her position on Ammy's back. "Anyone can see through that pitiful genjutsu."

"Yeah! This is the second floor! We need to go to the third floor!" Naruto cheered as he ran up the stairs.

"And you guys are defiantly not fooling me with that henge. You guys are really chūnin already aren't you?", Ammy grinned cutely.

Sakura poked the smaller girl's cheek. "How can you tell?" The smaller girl replied and spoke while carrying her up the stairs "Cause. No normal genin would have the guts to confront stronger looking people. Well, except for Naruto." she said bluntly. "HEY!" Naruto's voice could be heard from above. The other genin followed their example and went up the stairs.

Once everyone had left, the two genin were consumed in a cloud of smoke to reveal a pair of chūnin, the genjutsu on the door sign fading away. "Well damn. Leave it to Kakashi to train some monsters," one said to the other, "of course, he has a real monster on his team."

"This year is going to be a lot of fun," the other said before they vanished into the shadows.

* * *

><p>Team 7 was making their way to the exam room when they were interrupted.<p>

"Uchiha Sasuke! I challenge you!"

They all looked up to see centipede brows standing on a railing. He then jumped over the edge before vanishing and reappearing on the ground.

"Who are you?" Sasuke asked, wondering how someone could move at that speed.

The boy struck a pose. "I am Rock Lee! Konoha's Beautiful Green Wild Beast and the strongest of Konohagakure's genin!" he proclaimed with a smile that emitted a tiny sparkle.

Ammy freaked out. "I know that introduction style," she whimpered as she let Sakura's feet fall to the floor. "Ammy?" the pink haired girl enquired as Ammy got behind her and cowered in fear.

Lee noticed Sakura and his face lit up with a blush. "Sakura-san! Tales of your beauty pale in comparison to the real thing! My love for you is as undying as the Flames of Youth that burn within my heart! Let's go out after the exam!" he proclaimed loudly.

"No. Way. In. Hell," Sakura stated bluntly, "You're so lame you make Naruto look awesome."

The boy crumpled under the extreme insult, but came back alive in no time. He winked at Sakura and blew a kiss in her direction. Sakura dodged the 'attack' by falling backwards and banging her head on the ground, almost crashing into Ammy behind her. "Stop throwing dangerous things at me!" she yelled at the boy.

Lee didn't get to say anything in response because Sasuke appeared behind him and attempted to smash the boy over the head with his left hand. To everyone's surprise, Lee vanished and appeared next to Sasuke with his foot raised. Sasuke dodged it and attempted to grab Lee's leg, but the green clad boy twisted in mid air and swung his other leg into Sasuke's face, barely missing. Before Sasuke could regain his balance, Lee flew in with a third kick to the base of his jaw and sent him flying backwards.

'What the hell is with this speed?' Sasuke thought as his incomplete Sharingan proved worthless during the whole encounter, 'I can't track him.'

"That's right, Sasuke. Your Sharingan can't track my pure taijutsu," Lee said as he appeared underneath Sasuke, the bandages on his arms loose and fluttering underneath him. Before he got the chance to attack, Ammy appeared underneath him and grabbed the collar of his jumpsuit, tossing him away to a wall as she briefly turned into a tornado of dark colors. Sakura caught Sasuke before he hit the ground.

'So fast!' Sasuke thought as he watched Lee fly at the wall, his gaze shifted to Ammy as she wound down the spin to crouch on the ground, 'her too. This is the fourth time that she had displayed her speed like this. They were both faster than even Kakashi.'

Before Lee met the wall, a blast of smoke appeared and an older, even bushier browed version of Lee appeared to stop him from slamming into the wall. Once Lee was safely down, the man struck a pose. "So much YOUTH!" he boomed.

Three genin from Team 7, those being Naruto, Sasuke and Sakura, were freaked out that his eyes brows could be so thick. Ammy was staying completely still after having tossed Lee away. She was sweating a lot and looked scared out of her mind.

"Lee-kun! You know that jutsu is forbidden!" ultra mega brows said as he pointed at the boy.

"B-but Guy-sensei! I wasn't going to use the other one!" Lee protested.

"No excuses!" the man, Guy, shouted, "now accept your punishment!"

Lee nodded just before Guy slapped him...with a glowing hand! Both were crying while staring at each other. "I'm sorry Guy-sensei!" Lee warbled. "It is alright, Lee-kun! It was the Flames of Youth burning brightly within you!" Guy said as tears streaked down his face. The two went back and forth with each other's names, then hugged, freaking out everyone present. Sasuke couldn't believe he had lost to Lee and was tempted to ask Sakura to kick his ass since he could save more dignity with that loss. "It's good that my eternal rival, Kakashi, was there to stop you from using that technique," Guy said after the creepy moment with his student that everyone wanted permanently erased from existence.

"Uh," Naruto said as Ammy's eyes pleaded no, "that wasn't Kakashi-sensei. "

"What?" Guy shouted, "only three people have ever managed to learn my techniques so well! If it wasn't Kakashi or Lee-kun, then it must have been..." His eyes locked on Ammy, who dropped the statue act and tried to scramble away on all fours, panicking. Guy appeared behind her and lifted her up by the back of her shirt, causing the poor girl to flail around like a naughty puppy on its scruff. "I knew I sensed you nearby," Guy said as he turned Ammy to face him, "it is good to see you again, Ammy-kun."

Ammy was engulfed in a burst of smoke. When it cleared, Guy was holding a rag doll by it's the back of its dress with CREEP written in big letters on it. Guy blinked, then chuckled. "That is just like the youthful Ammy-kun I know, substituting herself with a cute doll when she isn't in any danger."

"Guy-sensei! It is time to go," a black haired boy with pale skin called down. When Team 7 saw his eyes, they knew he was a Hyūga. A girl with brown hair tied into buns on either side of her head was standing next to him. Guy shinshined up to them, signaling Lee to follow.

"Sasuke. I must apologize. I lied when I said I was the strongest genin in Konoha. It is likely that he is on my team though." With that warning, Lee left to catch up to his team.

"Are they gone yet?" Ammy asked as she peeked out from behind a small potted tree.

* * *

><p>[Exam room]<p>

Sakura was relieved and angry all at once. Kakashi hadn't bothered telling them that full teams were required to participate in the exams. When Sakura had mentioned Ammy taking her place, Kakashi said that the small ninja was part of the exams regardless of Team 7's participation, she would have just been placed on another Konoha team. She didn't get a chance to ponder this because they went into the room and she had to restrain herself from trying to kill Ino. The blonde pig was all over HER Sasuke-kun after all. Ammy pulled Ino off Sasuke and acted as an anti-Ino barrier. Sasuke silently thanked her, hiding a blush.

"Wow, looks like all the graduates are here," Kiba said as he walked up. With the nine graduates of their year present, it meant that rookie genin were part of the exams. This was incredibly rare too.

"So, you ready to drop out in the first part, Naruto?" Kiba asked, grinning. He was surprised that Naruto even bothered to show up. He was probably forced to by the Uchiha prick.

Before any more conversation could happen, a trio of Suna ninja shoved through the Konoha ninja. "Out of my way," the redhead, probably the leader, muttered, "I have no time for weaklings."

Kiba started growling, as did Akamaru. "Who are you calling a weakling!" he barked.

"Stop," Ammy commanded as she put her arm in Kiba's way, "he is far stronger than you."

The redhead glared down at Ammy for a few moments. "Who are you?" he asked.

"Kaneko Yue of the Kasai clan," Ammy stated as she glared right back into his eyes, not flinching or looking away at all.

The redhead's eyes widened slightly at her introduction and unwavering gaze. "That clan...so that is why I smell so much blood on you... I am Garra," he greeted, "I look forward to killing you."

"As if she is worth your time," Sasuke muttered as he glared at the redhead. Garra looked at him and saw the clan outfit of the Uchiha. "An Uchiha? I will use you to prove my existence as well." He glanced at his teammates, who flinched. They all walked away to take seats of their own.

"Why the hell are so many people interested in you?" Sasuke asked while frowning.

"Because I'm adorable and I should have my own line of plushies?" Ammy offered with an innocent smile.

"More like you are one of Konoha's most secretive prodigy, already at jōnin level, Kaneko Amaterasu-san." a young man with grey hair and glasses asked as he walked up to them. Ammy's glare was only seen by Sasuke and it sent a shiver down his spine. So much blood lust and hatred. It was like someone who looked exactly like Ammy had taken her place, someone with a violent streak that would have robbed Zabuza of his will to fight.

"I have gathered data on all the ninja gathered for the chūnin exams and I am willing to share it with you if you wish," the boy stated as he pulled out a deck of cards.

"Grrrrr… And what is the price, multiple time failure, Yakushi Kabuto?" Ammy asked with an edge of anger.

Kabuto grinned gently. "No price whatsoever."

"Garra, Rock Lee and Hyūga Neji," Sasuke stated. Knowledge was power and three of his five targets were almost completely unknown to him.

Kabuto drew the cards and activated one. "Hmm. Rock Lee graduated the academy with almost non-existent skill in genjutsu and ninjutsu, still non-existent too. He had adequate taijutsu, which he has improved drastically. He may be difficult to face in a close range battle." He activated the next card. "Hyūga Neji is a member of the Hyūga's branch family, but seems to be as talented as a main house member. I can't say too much about his abilities other than saying that he is also someone you don't want to get too close either." He activated the final card, which was almost blank. "Garra from Suna. All high rank missions, but no data on his abilities. One interesting fact is that he has always returned to his village without a single scratch on him. He may have some powerful defensive jutsu."

"One more," Sasuke said, "Kaneko Amatarasu."

Kabuto drew out the card and activated it. Unlike the others, there was no picture of the ninja. A glance down made Sakura pale. Ammy had high end skills in taijutsu and ninjutsu. She also had high speed, strength and stamina rating. And that was it. Everything else they already knew.

"Kaneko Amaterasu, genin. Above average in close range combat with taijutsu and with genjutsu. She also possesses a few powerful katon and futon," Kabuto then looked at the girl herself.

Ammy didn't give him a second glance; she just stomped away and sat down. "Butt-head we're on the same team. What did you **_really_** have to know?" She didn't want them to find out about her past if she could help it. She could feel a number of people glaring at her, planning on taking her out as quickly as possible if they got the chance. Sucks.

A man walked in and stood at the front of the room. "Sit down you meat bags!" he shouted. Once everyone was seated, he continued. "I am Morino Ibiki, the proctor for the first part of the chūnin exams. Welcome to one of the worst days in your life."

Sweat drops all around! A few shivers here and there too. Of course, a few people (Sasuke, Neji, Garra, and Shino) showed no reaction to the man's words.

Ibiki then explained the rules and what was expected of the examinees. Ammy knew Naruto was dead meat. She had already figured that this was a test to see their information gathering skills. There was a fundamental problem with that. Naruto was a pure combat type, meaning he was a complete moron when it came to the more intricate stealth techniques most ninja had access to.

When Ibiki told them to start, Ammy dropped her head onto her paper, not even bothering to flip it over. Instead of putting in unnecessary effort, she glanced at her teammates.

Sakura was writing like a woman possessed. Exactly what Ammy expected from a person with a library in their head.

Sasuke had figured out what was going on and used his Sharingan to copy a man's motions. The bastard was getting by with minimal work. Looking at the victim of the Uchiha, Ammy noted he was far too relaxed for a person who was trying to pass the test. A chūnin in disguise...

A glance at Naruto almost had Ammy laughing her ass off. The expression on his face was hilarious. His eyes were wide and his lips were pursed in confusion. Ammy knew that he couldn't make heads or tails of the strange script on the paper before him AT ALL. Then again, his brain might be able to work some of it out that she wouldn't. All she read was the place she put her name and the ninth question. She decided to lay everything on the line with that one question. She was too lazy to do fancy string work or to near invisibly send a henged shadow clone to spy on other people. Sasuke's target to be exact. No that would be way too much effort. That left her with a great option that she loved.

Nap time!

[Forty minutes later]

Thunk!

"I'M AWAKE!" Ammy shouted as she jumped up. When she noticed all the chūnin (who weren't convenient targets for information theft) staring at her, she looked and noticed the person sitting next to her had been eliminated. A kunai stuck out of the girl's paper. That is what had awakened her. She chuckled nervously and sat down again. No way could she fall asleep again after that.

The next minute was so boring that Ammy picked up her pencil and started drawing something that had come across her in the dream she had while napping. A huge snake in a frightening forest… hmmmm…. Weird. Where did that come from?

"Drop your pencils!" Ibiki bellowed. Ammy accidentally snapped her pencil in two. She glared at the man with all her anger, making the man shiver for a moment, before she remembered what was going on. She had completely forgotten she was taking an exam.

"Before I ask the final question, I must warn you of a few things," he said, "first, the nine questions you have already sweat, bled and cried over are now meaningless."

Murmurs were heard around the leftover genin. Ammy felt happy that she didn't bother with the written work.

"If you decide to take this question, be prepared. Answering wrong will not only cause you and your team to fail, but you will not be allowed to attend another chūnin exam ever again." With this, Ibiki inwardly smirked at the panicked looks that many genin were shooting around at each other. Unlike a certain woman he knew, he preferred to see them sweat, not bleed and die.

Ammy was interested in this. "Hey Morino!" she shouted to get his attention. The look of recognition on his face was something Ammy wished she could photograph it. Seeing Ibiki with his eyes wide and his jaw hanging open slightly in surprise was seen as often as Naruto getting trained by Kakashi. "How are they going to become chūnin if they can't enter another chūnin exam?"

Many of the genin wondered that as well. "It's simple; they don't," Ibiki stated with a dismissive shrug. Now the genin were sweating so hard that there would be rivers in the room if they stayed for about an hour.

It started.

"I quit!" a genin shouted as he got up and stalked out of the room. His two teammates quickly followed. With that, the floodgates were opened and genin teams were leaving in droves. What started as a room filled with at least sixty genin, which got reduced during the first part of the test, had been whittled down to about thirty or so. Without counting it was difficult for Ammy to tell.

SLAM!

"Bring it on!" Naruto challenged.

Once more, Ibiki stared at the second surprise of the day. "I don't care what you do or say. You cannot, will not stop me from becoming Hokage! Fail me if you will, but remember that I will be your leader one day!" Naruto declared.

All hesitation and worry was blown away. For Naruto's former classmates, it was a relief to hear that Naruto was still firing his dream around like it was possible. Then again, none wanted to hear him cheering about getting to the next part when they had chickened out. He did have Sasuke and Sakura on his team after all. From what had been seen so far, Ammy was as dumb and useless as Naruto. Three people knew better though, having witness to the girl's capabilities.

For those from outside of Konoha, they just wanted to either see Naruto squirm or make him squirm during the next test. Plain and simple, they wanted to see the loud ass genin get beat.

Ibiki stared at the group. He was thoroughly surprised. Not a single one looked ready to leave now. "You all pass," he said.

"WHAT?" Naruto, Ino and Ammy shouted/shrieked.

Ibiki rubbed his right ear, deciding to hunt the three down later so he could record their shrieks. They would be excellent tools for interrogations. "The tenth question was a test of your resolve," Ibiki explained, "I take it that all of you noticed that the first nine questions were there to show us how good your information gathering skills are, which is a must with any chūnin on a mission. Chūnin will also be entrusted with making difficult decisions under stress, which is what the tenth question represented. Of course, the result of your decisions could be a successful mission or your name appearing on the memorial stone along with your team." Ibiki let that sink in before trying to tell them about the next part of the test.

Operative word: trying!

SMASH!

Everyone looked in shock as a brown bundle flew through a window before it unfurled with four kunai, revealing that it was actually a banner with writing on it.

Mitarashi Anko

Tokubetsu Jōnin

I love Dango

"I'm Mitarashi Anko!" she shouted, "prepare to go through Hell!"


	12. Chapter 12: The Forest of Death

**A.N. ... Gomen! **Gomen! (bows asianly) I am soooooooo unbelievably sorry for leaving you guys for so long but…. What can I say? I procrastinate a lot. Don't judge me. So I'm not going to give too many apologies/excuses but thank you for the reviews from: **whitelily65,** **i have no name, Tough Chick, El Frijolero, **and **MusicLover2010! **I like my reviews so keep it up and I'll post sooner guys. And I would like you guys to help me come up with a better title. I mean "The New Girl"? that has to be the least creative title ever! So yeah. R & R! Seriously. it's my life blood.

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><p><strong>Chapter 12<strong>

Everyone sweat dropped at the grown woman's surprisingly childish antics.

'She is so...Naruto-ish,' Sakura thought as her right eye twitched slightly in disbelief and annoyance. If she knew that the ninja world was filled with weirdos like Naruto, Kakashi, Lee, Guy and this Anko woman, she would have become something else!

At least Sasuke-kun was normal!

Before anything could be said, two crashes were heard. Everyone turned to look at the spot that had once been owned by a kunoichi, seeing the spot vacant now. Anko proved to be quickest and picked up the fallen girl.

"You bad puppy," Anko said with a feral grin when she saw who she was holding up.

"H-hi Anko-s-san," Ammy stammered as she waved.

Naruto, Sakura, and to a lesser extent, Sasuke were shocked.

Anko fake sobbed, "You didn't come to visit me when you became a genin."

"S-sorry," Ammy apologized, "but they put me on a team with-"

"You didn't even tell me, your momma, that you had been promoted," Anko whined.

"Sorry, sensei. I- Wait, what do you mean by mom?" Ammy asked as she started sweating. At that, Anko grinned devilishly before engulfing Ammy in a hug, making sure to force the girl's face into her chest.

'I want to go there too,' Ibiki, a few chūnin, Kiba and Choji thought as they watched Ammy get smothered into a 'happy' death. They were quickly reminded, or shown, why they would never want to do that with Anko.

When Ammy was released she jumped to the window and breathed in air, wonderful fresh air. When she was back to normal she looked back and shot daggers at Anko, causing her to chuckle. 'As feisty as always.'

"Okay," the purple haired woman huffed, "enough fun for now. I expect you all at the next part of the exam in forty minutes!" She then grabbed her banner, placed Ammy on her shoulder, and flew out an unbroken window.

"WHYYYYY MEEEEEEEEEEEEEeeeeeeee!" the poor kunoichi wailed and thrashed as they plummeted four stories.

Naruto, Sakura and Sasuke were all thinking the same thing: 'she kidnapped our teammate...and broke another window.'

Ibiki sighed. "She always does this," he mumbled. "Listen up! The chūnin in here have maps to the next stage! Make sure to get one unless you want that psycho hunting you down because you didn't let her hear you scream to death!" he shouted. The genin teams got their maps and took off for the forest at top speed, not wanting to have the woman looking for them.

[Thirty minutes later, Forest of Death]

Naruto, Sasuke and Sakura were all standing near Ammy, who was sitting on the ground, hugging her legs to her chest. She mumbled, "S-scary l-lady.."

The purple haired woman then measured up the group. "What the hell? Ibiki is losing it if this many made it through!" she grinned sadistically, "no matter, this forest will cut you guys in half, if any make it out." Once she was sure every genin was present, she continued. She explained the test and everything that it entailed. Basically, it was a free for all between the teams and various denizens of the Forest of Death, also known as Anko's vacation spot. The target of the battles was one of two scrolls, Heaven and Earth. When a team possessed both scrolls, they were to make it to the tower in the center. The teams were not to look at the contents of the scrolls unless they wanted instant elimination. Lethal force was allowed and expected if one was to make it through the forest alive.

When Ammy heard that last one, she smiled as her fingers ghosted over Solar Flare's handle. Ammy also checked to see if she had enough kunai and shuriken then smirked. The other genin, minus the Suna team, also checked their gear. Of course, Shikamaru figured it was too troublesome to check.

"One last rule," Anko called out, "when you die, scream veeery loud so I can hear it!" She then laughed and started walking away.

"Crazy," Naruto mumbled. A kunai flew by his check, cutting it slightly. Before he could react, Anko was behind him and holding his shoulders as she set her head next to his. "ones like you die fast, spilling lots of your tasty blood all over the forest," she said before licking at the cut. To his shock, a kunai flew out of her sleeve and into her hand as she swung her left arm back.

"Your kunai," a kusa-nin said around her long tongue as she held the blade out for its owner to take.

"Thanks," Anko said as she took the throwing knife, "but do that again and I might kill you."

"I will keep that in mind," the grass kunoichi said as she backed off. With her fun passed, Anko walked off. Team 7 joined the line.

"Hey duck-butt-head!" Ammy snapped, "who the hell appointed you grand poo-bah of Team 7?"

He glanced back slightly, "I am the most powerful as well as the most-"

"Shut up before I sock you," Ammy shot back.

" Ammy!" Sakura hissed back, "stop being mean to Sasuke-kun!"

"Sakura," Sasuke whispered to his fan-girl, sky rocketing her hopes, "shut up."

"B-but she-" Sakura sputtered.

"Hn," Sasuke finished.

Sasuke was going to continue on, but they had reached the head of the line. They went in and received an Earth scroll. They placed the scroll into a satchel they were given to hold the scrolls and left for gate 14.

After about twenty minutes, Anko walked up. "I get to send off the two who I so want to hear scream," she said, "maybe pinky is a screamer too..."

Sasuke grunted, Sakura gulped, Naruto grinned and Ammy placed her left hand Solar Flare's handle and held three of her kunai in the other. All were waiting for the start signal.

BEEEEEEPPP!

The gate swung open.

"Go!" Anko commanded.

The three genin flew through the door, all ready for battle. The gate slammed shut behind them.

[An hour later]

'Holy shit!'

That was what the three green genin were thinking as Ammy had finished retrieving all of their kunai out of the chest of the panther that had attacked them. They had helped as well, after the initial shock wore off, but the beast seemed to be used to dealing with ninja of a higher level than them, proving to be a black ghost that slid around their weapons and taijutsu.

"D-damn!" Naruto gasped as the adrenaline wore off, "what the hell is this forest?"

Ammy was panting and holding her left shoulder, which had been clawed slightly. "Don't let your guard down! That was some scary shit. I thought we were gonna die…" she murmured.

"Y-yeah Naruto!" Sakura panted.

"I was talking about all three of you!" Ammy snapped, "If I didn't send a kage bunshin to set up weapon traps, we would have been some of the first casualties!" A scream was heard, which was joined almost instantly by two more. Ammy straightened herself and then rushed up a tree. "Come on! It should be safer up here!" she called down. The others followed, Sasuke grumbling about Ammy taking over. "Stop bitching at me, Uchiha. Do you want to die? 'Cause I don't. Yet." Sasuke just huffed and took off in a random direction, making sure to not go towards the gate again.

[Day two]

Naruto, Sasuke, Sakura and Ammy were now wishing for a guide. The forest was a maze and Sasuke swore it had natural genjutsu in places that even his Sharingan couldn't pierce. They had recently passed by a team of genin who had fallen into a sink hole, falling to break a number of bones. To make matters worse, some sort of insects had gnawed on them a bit. They were, of course, dead.

"No scroll," Ammy said as she came back up, "most likely chewed up with one of them or taken away by another team."

Sakura frowned at her teammate. "Ammy," she called, "why did you suddenly change when we came into the forest?"

"Hai?" Ammy gaped, revealing some of the old her.

"You're...serious." Sakura pointed out.

Ammy frowned, looking closer to her true age as she looked up. "We are in danger here, so screwing around is dumb," she then looked at Sakura with a smile, "besides, I was trained pretty well before I came to Konoha. Be happy I'm not like this all the time..."

Sasuke took off towards the east, hoping to find another team with a scroll.

[Day three]

"I don't believe this," Naruto complained, "we haven't seen a single living team yet."

Sasuke grunted. "Yeah. I figured we would have run into at least one by now."

Ammy was about to respond when she tensed and drew her kunai. "Careful what you wish for," she whispered as she stepped back, fading into the leaves.

"A-Ammy?" Sakura called, suddenly scared. Ammy had stuck with them the whole time they were in the forest, not straying too far from them. From what she had told them so far, this place was very deadly when it was at its safest.

Nothing happened and the team waited. A little too long in Naruto's case.

"I need to take a leak," Naruto mumbled as he walked over to a bush and made to do the deed right there and then.

"You pervert!" Sakura snapped as she whacked Naruto's head, "don't do such vulgar things in front of a lady!"

"What lady?" Naruto asked, then ran when he saw Sakura's face.

The two waited for both of their teammates now. "Where did Ammy go?" Sakura asked.

"Ahh, much better," Naruto sighed as he walked up.

"Geez! Ammy left us behind, so we got to stick together!" Sakura lectured.

"Sorry Sakura," Naruto chuckled.

Without warning, Sasuke punched Naruto in the side of the head, sending the blonde rolling away.

"Sasuke-kun!" Sakura shouted, "I know Naruto is annoying and rude, but that was too much!"

"Who are you?" Sasuke asked Naruto.

Naruto was enveloped in smoke, becoming an Ame-nin. "How did you know?" he asked.

"Naruto always calls her Sakura-chan," Sasuke informed the ninja as he pointed at Sakura, "he is also right handed and has a scratch on his cheek from where the examiner cut him." He then sighed, "I never thought I would meet someone who was worse than Naruto when it came to henge."

"Whatever!" the Ame-nin roared as he drew a kunai and charged at the heir.

Nearby, Ammy watched from a branch as the Ame-nin's teammates groaned from the little trap she had sprung on them. "That is what you get for hiding like wusses," she whispered back to them as she kicked at the pile of shinobi, sending them to the forest floor. She wrapped them with more wire for good measure. "Now let's see what's goin' on," she whispered to herself.

As the fight progressed, Ammy became increasingly annoyed. It was all Sasuke and very little Naruto once he woke up. All Naruto did was toss Sasuke a kunai, allowing the black haired genin to kill the enemy ninja by driving the weapon into his spine. Damn glory hog.

"Hmph," Ammy mumbled at the Uchiha from her perch, "I should go back now." She then sighed and went to meet up with her team. "Hey gu-!" she called, then swung her katana up to deflect Sasuke's bloody kunai. "What the hell is your problem, Uchiha!"

"Say something that proves you are the real Ammy," he ordered.

"You're ordering me around?" she shot back. Sasuke drew a couple kunai and got ready to throw them. "You emo prick! Just because you're the goddamn _rookie of the _yeardoesn't give you the right to threaten or order me around!" she roared.

"I think that is the real Ammy," Naruto deadpanned, "either that or a really angry and henged Anko-san." Naruto didn't even get a chance to dodge the kunai that flashed by his cheek, reopening his cut cheek perfectly. "Yep, that's her alright," he declared.

"How do you know?" Sasuke asked as Naruto walked to the tree that the blade had hit, "that nut job from before loves cutting your cheek."

Naruto pulled the knife free and showed it to Sasuke. "This is why," he said. Sasuke examined the blade. It was a long, flat, pure white blade with a ring directly attached to it, making it resemble a flattened kunai with a long blade. There were green and red swirls near the grip. "What the hell is this?" Sasuke asked, having never seen a kunai like this.

"That is my Fire Kunai," Ammy said as she snatched the weapon.

"Fire Kunai?" Sakura asked.

"A kunai I designed for my own personal use," Ammy explained, "lighter, sharper and made from a metal that allows chakra to flow through it with ease. I normally charge them with katon before I throw them, hence the name Fire Kunai."

"Can I try it out?" Sasuke asked. He liked practicing with any type of weapon he could. It was a good idea to be used to various weapons, just in case he had to borrow a weapon or return the enemy's weapons to them, with deadly accuracy.

"Not happening," Ammy said as she stowed the weapon.

"Why not?" he asked.

"Because for some odd reason, only I have ever been able to use them properly," she said. She then smirked and pulled one out for Sasuke to try out. "Go ahead, oh great duck-butt-head. I would love to see you slice your hand open."

Sasuke grunted and found the correct way to hold the weapon, murmuring obscenities under his breath. Ammy silently commended him, but knew it would end badly. Sasuke swung his arm to throw the blade and promptly grabbed his hand as he hissed in pain. "Dammit!" The blade flew oddly and embedded itself in a root.

"Sasuke-kun!" Sakura cried out as she knelt next to her teammate.

"Told you," Ammy said as she picked up her kunai. "Let me help out," she said as she grabbed his hand and yanked it to her. She then bandaged his hand up after treating it with a salve she had. "Your hand will be better in an hour or so, just don't use it," she warned, "it will hurt like hell if you do."

Sasuke just grunted at her. "We should have a code or something to make sure we don't get ambushed again," he suggested. He then gave them the code, a monstrous thing that made Ammy rub her eyes in confusion. Naruto was just staring at Sasuke, wondering how Sasuke could remember something like that. Then again, he never had anybody to sing him a lullaby.

The team was just about to wrap up their little meeting when kunai rained down on them, splitting them up. Ammy quickly circled around, looking for Sakura. She met up with the girl and was asked what the code was. "How the hell am I supposed to remember that?"

Sasuke showed up and recited the code as he pointed the kunai at his two female teammates. Sakura rattled it off at the same time as Sasuke. Ammy just shook her head, barely remembering what she just heard. "Well?" Sasuke asked. "Got it!" Ammy shouted.

"Geez Ammy," Naruto said as he walked into the clearing, "I can't believe you forgot the code." He then recited it.

Ammy and Sasuke slashed at Naruto, missing by a huge margin.

"Now I know you aren't Naruto," Ammy growled, "he isn't that good. 'Yet.'"

"Or smart enough to remember the password," Sasuke added, "he would have said that he didn't remember the password like Ammy did."

"Grrr…"

The fake Naruto chuckled at them. "I guess I can't trick you that easily, Sasuke-kun," he said as he released the henge and became a grass kunoichi, "you too, Amatarasu-chan."

Ammy's battle flare was gone. She didn't know why, but she was terrified. A part of herself, told her to beg for her life. She lowered her sword, deciding to assume a more evasive stance.

"Where is Naruto?" Sakura shouted.

"Kukukuku. Playing with my pet right now," the Kusa-nin said, "though he won't be playing in a few seconds."

"What do you mean?" Sasuke asked.

"Well, I forgot to feed it earlier, so I figure it will see Naruto as a snack," the kunoichi said.

Without warning, Sasuke and Sakura were struck by kunai, right through their foreheads. Ammy took one to her neck, feeling her blood spray from the wound.

'Shit!' Ammy thought as she stabbed herself in the hand with a kunai, cancelling the illusion. It wasn't genjutsu, just plain killing intent.

She turned and saw Sasuke stab himself with a kunai as well, just in time to shove Sakura out of the way of two kunai and take her away to safety to the bushes.

"So it is just me and you," the woman hissed, "I wonder if you will be useful as well. Let me see your power. I want to know, I must know. Can you use it? The blood I want." She rushed at Ammy with a kunai in each hand. Ammy lifted her blade, ready to defend herself.

[Five minutes later]

'She is playing with Ammy,' Sasuke thought as he watched the battle, his hand clamped over Sakura's mouth to silence her. A frantic mumbling hit his ears and he turned to tell her to shut up, just in time to dodge and kill the snake that was aiming for him. 'That was too close!'

Sasuke turned back, only to pull Sakura aside as Ammy skid over to them. "D-dammit!" the girl spat as blood leaked from her mouth, "if only I had-!" She stopped as she was bit on the neck by the freak, wracked with almost paralyzing pain.

"Kukukukuku " the kunoichi hummed, "could it be that... That is why your chakra is so weak right now." She then sighed. "Now I can deal with Sasuke-kun, too."

'Ammy?' Sakura thought.

Sasuke stood up and drew his kunai. "Fine," he said, "I'll try to stop you."

[Ten minutes later]

"I can't believe that snake tried to eat me," Naruto mumbled. First, he got separated from his team. Then he ran into what had to be the largest snake in the world. THEN he had to get eaten by the damn thing. Lucky for Naruto, unlucky for the snake, Naruto was a specialist of the kage bunshin. Poor snake never knew what blew it to shreds. "Eat something your own size in the next life," Naruto muttered.

He followed the chakra signatures as well as the sounds of a battle. What bothered him was that he could feel two faint chakra signatures, one of them weakening, a massive chakra and a large one that was quickly weakening...and changing. That worried him because he couldn't tell who was who. For all he knew the small, weakening one was...

"Sakura-chan!" Naruto shouted and quickened his pace. He reached back to draw a kunai, only to find that his time in the snake had been enough for his weapon pouch to burn off. "Dammit!" he growled as he snatched up a rock on his way into the trees.

When he got to the scene of battle, he felt ready to chuck the rock in his hand at Sasuke's head with all his might. 'What the fuck is he thinking?' Naruto raged, 'does he really think someone like that will let us live? She is out for our lives you dumbass!' He threw the rock at the kunoichi instead, causing her to jump back as he landed and picked up their scroll.

"What are you-" Sasuke started, but Naruto punched him in the face as hard as he could. "I don't know who you are, and I wish I could remember the code, but I don't need it to know that you are a fake!" Naruto shouted.

"You don't know what is going on!" Sasuke yelled back, "We need to give her the scroll or she is going to kill us!"

"In what screwed up corner of your head did the idea that she would let us live spring from?" Naruto shouted.

"Kukukukuku. Why go spoiling my fun, Naruto-kun?" the Kusa-nin asked, "I was almost to the good part."

Sasuke fell to his knees, truly terrified now. It finally sunk in, this woman wouldn't be happy until they were all dead. Why didn't he realize it sooner? What made him think that he could escape with his life? Why did it take Naruto to have him finally realize the truth?

He looked up to see an enormous snake staring at him. Something had happened while he was busy in his head. He tried to move, but he was just too slow.

CRASH!

"What's the matter?" a battered Naruto asked, pupils slitted and his whisker marks more visible, "you the scaredy cat now?" The snake lifted itself up, only for Naruto to uppercut the thing out of existence. Sasuke watched in stunned silence as Naruto, the "weakest" link in their team, went toe to toe with an opponent that Sasuke had struggled against a few minutes earlier.

It didn't last.

The woman stretched her tongue out and tied up Naruto's legs with it while her left hand held one of his wrists. She stared at his stomach for a few moments, then slammed her hand into it. Instantly, the overwhelming power radiating from Naruto vanished. Satisfied that Naruto was down for the next little while, she threw him away to a branch where he started slipping. Luckily for the blond, Sakura managed to keep him from scattering his brains on the ground with a well aimed kunai.

Sasuke looked back in time for the woman to grab his arms and...bite his neck like with Ammy! At first, it was just a burning sensation where the teeth had punctured him, but after a moment it spread like wild fire and burned him from the inside. He passed out from the pain.

[Very early next morning]

Ammy woke up to the sounds of battle. She got up, feeling everything hurt for a moment before it all faded away. She looked towards the sounds and saw the Oto-team beating on Sakura. Ammy shot up and rushed to help her friend. '…It…burns.'

Off to the side, Team 10 was hiding behind a stand of bushes, waiting to see what was happening.

"Maybe we should help her out?" Choji offered.

"Are you nuts?" Ino shot back, "we're too weak!"

"Too troublesome," Shikamaru stated.

A cry was heard as Sakura's hair was grabbed by the black haired kunoichi, Kin. Ammy was kicked down by the creep covered in bandages. To Team 10's shock, Sakura hacked her hair to free herself. They then watched as Sakura faced off against that creep with the dull eyes.

"Maybe we should go now?" Shikamaru asked. Sadly, that was the last thing he would say for a while.

"Zankūha!" the dull eyed creep shouted as he blasted Ammy, who had tried for a sneak attack, away.

Straight at Team 10.

Shikamaru managed to mouth 'troublesome' right before the top of Ammy's head impacted his forehead. In that moment before he passed out, two thoughts ran through his head.

'Now I know why they are called forehead protectors...Too troublesome to move it now.'

'Ammy's head is hard...'

The Nara heir and petite ninja were knocked out for the remainder of the battle. Unfortunately for Team 10, the impact caused enough noise for them to be noticed. It also didn't help that Shikamaru had groaned before passing out.

Choji made a valiant effort of running away, but Ino dragged him out by his scarf. "I can't let you get too far ahead of me with Sasuke-kun Forehead!" Ino shouted as she appeared in the clearing. "Choji! Do it!" Ino commanded.

Choji put his chips away. "Baika no Jutsu!" he shouted as he grew into a large ball shape.

"What the hell, you gonna smother me, Fatass?" Zaku chuckled at his own joke.

Ino smirked, knowing the creep was done for now.

"I'M NOT FAT!" Choji shouted, "I'M BIG BONED!" He then rolled like a bowling ball as he rushed at Zaku. "Nikudan Sensha!"

Zaku grinned maniacally at the boy coming at him. He held up his hands. "Zankūha!" he shouted, blasting Choji off course and into a tree. The blow was enough to daze the poor boy.

"Good work," Dosu said as his team regrouped. "Do us a favor and-!" He dodged away as Kin threw a senbon at him. "Kin, what are you doing?" he shouted as his teammate glared at him.

"I caught your teammate, so give up now," Kin/Ino said. To her shock, Dosu drove his foot into her stomach. Realizing her actions were useless as she saw her own body cough up blood, she released the jutsu and dealt with the pain.

"Now where were we?" Dosu asked, "Oh yes. Wake up Uchiha Sasuke so we can kill him."

The girls would have protested and fought to the bitter end, but the subject of the conversation appeared next to Zaku and backhanded him into Dosu. What terrified them was the black splotches all over his left arm and half his face. The glare he sent at the Oto genin was terrible as well, one that looked like it belonged on the face of a heartless killer.

"I know what she gave me now," he said mostly to himself.

"W-what?" Sakura gasped. His voice was so hollow, so distant.

"I am an Avenger. I live to kill that man and I will never stop until I have done so," he then glanced back at her, the coldness in his eyes never vanishing, "she gave me the power I needed."

"Go to hell!" Zaku shouted as he got up. He pointed his arm cannons at Sasuke. "Zankūkyokuha!" he shouted as the air blast annihilated the forest in front of him. "Hah-hahahahaha! I killed you, bastard!" he cheered to the sky.

"Not even close," Sasuke said as he appeared and axe handled the boy in the back of the head, his curse mark eating more of him. He grabbed Zaku's arms and stomped on the genin's back as he pulled slightly. "These arms...without them, you are even more worthless than trash," Sasuke informed his hapless opponent, "maybe I should tear them off?"

"No! Not my arms! Anything but my arms!" Zaku howled.

"No, I will take your arms," Sasuke said, a grin of pure lunacy marring his face as he yanked back, dislocating both of Zaku's arms. He grabbed the ruined genin by the hair and dragged him to his knees. "That was because you foolishly stood before me. What I am about to do is for what you did to my teammate," he said as he reached for a kunai.

"Stop it!" Sakura cried as she grabbed Sasuke in a hug from behind, "you've done enough! I'm fine Sasuke-kun!"

"S-Sakura..." he stuttered. His curse seal started receding, much to Dosu and Kin's relief.

"GAH!" Naruto shouted as he shot up. He took a quick look and dove to the ground. "Everyone! Get down!"

Whack!

"You really are half moron, half idiot," Choji informed his blond friend as he prodded at his head with a stick.

Naruto dismissed the comment and sat up, noticing Sakura's appearance for the first time. While he liked her with long hair, he suddenly decided he liked her with short hair too. "Sakura-chan... What happened to your hair?"

"Oh that?" she touched her hair, "I just decided it was time for an image change." She then glanced over to where Ammy had flown off. "Maybe you should go check on Ammy?"

Naruto decided to do so, since Ino seemed to be itching to do something. He went off to check on his teammate. He saw the lazy heir too. "Hey Shikamaru! Time to get up," he called. Shikamaru didn't move. "Fine, keep pretending for five more minutes," the blond said and checked his teammate.

Back with the girls, Ino was commenting on Sakura's hack job as she fixed it up. She just finished when Naruto screamed bloody murder. "Sakura-chan! Sasuke!" he screamed.

The four genin ran over to find Shikamaru and a frantic Naruto seated next to Ammy. "What's wrong?" Ino asked. She had been tempted to tease him, but seeing how he was had her concerned.

" A-Ammy! I-I don't think she's b-breathing!" he warbled, close to tears. Losing people, especially his friends, was hard on Naruto.

Sakura rushed over and shoved Naruto aside. She placed her head on Ammy's chest, hearing a heartbeat. She then placed her hand gently over the girl's mouth and nose to see if she was still breathing. It was faint, but far too faint for the girl to live long. "She needs CPR," Sakura said.

It was a Mexican standoff, ninja style.

"Too troublesome," Shikamaru mumbled.

"I am not doing it," Sasuke grunted.

"I-Sakura-chan-um!" Naruto stuttered.

Choji didn't say anything since he had fainted when he heard that Ammy wasn't breathing.

Sakura and Ino silently exchanged their reasons for not doing it. (Cough- Sasuke -cough) Sakura silently sent back that she was far ahead and it would stay that way. Ino sighed. "Hey Shikamaru! Get your lazy ass over here, you are doing chest compressions!" she ordered. Shikamaru decided to do as he was told. He had seen what happened when his father didn't listen to such commands. It was less troublesome to push on the girl's chest than deal with Ino's nagging later for not doing it. Besides, it's not like Ammy had anything big there anyways. That would be a decision that was both good and bad.

On the fourth exhale, Shikamaru accidentally started the compressions too early, causing Ino to cut her lip on Ammy's teeth. The blonde glared at the pineapple haired boy, then exhaled into Ammy's mouth to get the girl breathing again. She managed to move her mouth away before Ammy was seemingly shocked by an unseen force.

"W-what is going on?" Ino asked.

"Get away from her!" Sakura shouted, "she's having a seizure!"

The two backed away and joined their former classmates. "A seizure?" Ino asked. Sakura whispered, "I think…"Ammy was hit with another jolt, then dirty blue chakra appeared and spun around her lazily.

"Okaaaay..." Ino mumbled, "This is the strangest seizure I have ever seen..." The others nodded.

The girl's chakra picked up speed, darkening further until it became a slow maelstrom of black chakra. The chakra condensed more around where snake creep bit her and around her sword. She jolted again as pure white chakra erupted from her body, turning the slow storm into a furious black and white chakra dervish. They watched as Ammy's hair changed, growing longer, and paler. A red circle with two lines sticking out on the top and bottom appeared on her forehead above the spot between her eyes. A mark on her neck flashed, over her collarbone seemingly flowing with bright red lava. Her canines lengthened, becoming small fangs respectfully. The wound on her shoulder closed up and healed without a scar. The doom hickey on the side of her neck was gone. The chakra flowed back into her and she stopped shaking.

"A-Ammy?" Naruto asked, terrified that something had taken over their teammate.

Ammy twitched. "Mmmmm. Naruto?" she asked as she woke up and got up unsteadily. "Whoa!" she cried as she fell down. She looked at the others, wondering why she was being stared at so oddly.

First thing they noticed was Ammy's eyes and the mark on her neck. The mark was no longer glowing, but it was a deep crimson color now, almost like blood stains. It looked like a seal. Her eyes were the opposite of the dark markings on her. They were the same color as before, only much brighter, Except that they had one white circle around each pupil... Like the Sharingan without the tomoe…

"Hmm?" Ammy then got onto her knees and poked at her neck. They were wondering what she was doing when she gasped and quickly did whatever she was doing. "Is there anything on my neck?" she shouted.

Naruto replied, "Ye-yes…"

"WHAT!"

She snatched at her sword and they all saw that the sword had changed as well. Before it looked like a normal katana with a circular red hilt guard. Now, the hilt was a flurry of red, orange, and white, looking like a maelstrom of fire. The sheath had spirals of what looked like green and blue flame. In other words, it was gorgeous.

"W-w-what h-h-happened?" Ino managed.

"Hmm? Oh, It's the seal for my chakra that I'm 'supposed' to be able to release, but I…I don't really know how to use it… Sad I know," Ammy stated.

"And the katana?"

"Its how it looked like before my kekki genkai was sealed. Didn't I mention that before?"

Everyone shook their heads.

"Oops." She smiled nervously. She started talking.


	13. Chapter 13: Preliminaries

**A.N. Okay. For the preliminaries the fights go the same as cannon. Yes I'm THAT lazy. Sorry. Ammy's fight, by the way, is not that interesting. Read ahead to find out guys. Don't get too disappointed. By the way thanks to:**_god of all, don't have an account sad face, El Frijolero, and qwertyuiopasdfghjkl_** for reviewing! But i am disapoint. not that many reviews for the last chapter make me sad. Well I've replaced my original chapter one and two so go and check those out! Ja ne!  
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**Chapter 13:**

In a nearby stand of trees, Kabuto had been watching the battle and was quite surprised to see Ammy's revival. He had seen the signs of her impending death from the first moment and had started to dismiss her from the planned attack. Now though, she appeared to be back to her old self, personality and power included. If her powers were able to destroy Orochimaru's seal of heaven, then that meant that she would be a hindrance to the plan. He had to inform Orochimaru as soon as possible. First, he needed to infiltrate their team to update their information.

[Team 7 & 10]

Ammy had finished explaining everything to them. She claimed that her bloodline was a triple fire element and a body restoration technique (a.k.a healing) as a bloodline.

"I can't really tap into the restoration part well but, I do get the fire boost. The healing is supposed to work only when major injuries, because it takes a massive amount of chakra. Like… um… three eighths? Not too sure. Explanation good enough?"

"What abou-," started Naruto.

"And no the circles in my eyes don't have to do with anything I can access, Naruto. Stop interrupting," Ammy snapped. "By the way… Thanks Shika. You too Ino. I owe you guys my life."

"Nah it was nothing!" Ino replied happily while fixing Sakura's hair. "Right Shika?" She elbowed him in the gut.

"Ooof. Y-yeah. It was nothing." Shikamaru choked out.

"So does this mean you are strong again?" Sasuke asked. He was examining the Earth Scroll that Ammy had somehow managed to retrieve from that Kusa-nin. She had claimed she took it while they fought.

Ammy nodded. Her memories of the last three days were kind of fuzzy, so she couldn't remember the battles from before too well. "It also seems that my organ damage from wave is reversing itself due to my regenerative ability's released seal," she informed the others.

"So it should be easier to-" Naruto started.

"No it won't," Ammy interrupted, "I'm like Kakashi back in Wave, still recovering. I can use jutsu, just not too much or for too long. I can't fight properly yet either. I should be recovered soon after we finish this test."

"Look, this is interesting and all, but we need to get going now," Shikamaru said as he turned to leave. Choji followed. Ino told Sakura to find her when they were out of the forest so she could properly fix her hair. Team 10 completely ignored Ammy.

"We should get going too," Ammy said, right before she drew a kunai and held it to the neck of the person who was behind her.

"Um, I come in peace?" Kabuto said with uncertainty. Ammy lowered her blade and stored it.

"Why are you here Kabuto-san?" Naruto asked.

"I'm here to help you out," Kabuto said with a gentle grin.

Fifteen minutes later, team 7 and Kabuto were heading for the dead center of the forest. According to Kabuto, there were teams that gathered around the tower to get trophies, extra scrolls so they could brag or something.

"So we find one of these teams and take a scroll from them?" Sakura asked. Kabuto nodded.

They came to a clearing and were forced to take to the ground. Before they had a chance to continue on, a hail of kunai and shuriken flew from all angles.

"Looks like they found us!" Kabuto exclaimed as he dodged.

"Bring it on!" Naruto shouted. The attackers answered with more weapons.

"I bet that they'll keep doing this till we're too weak to fight back, then they'll cut us down," Ammy growled. She was doing her best, but her body couldn't keep up. A stray senbon lanced into her bicep.

The 'battle' went on for another while. Naruto attempted to use his Kage Bunshin to find the ninja, but they got dispelled before they even got to the edge of the clearing. Then it happened, the five genin were too tired to move anymore.

"That's enough," a breathless sounding voice ordered. Three Ame-nin stepped into the clearing, all three wearing the standard outfit and rebreather set. "Now, kindly die and let us take your scroll."

"Good work Naruto," Sasuke said from behind the three attacking ninja.

"What?" the short Ame-nin, the leader, gasped out. The five Konoha-nin smiled at him before they were enveloped in smoke, proving to be four henged Naruto clones and the original.

The real Naruto fell to his knees. "Take a break Naruto," Sasuke said, "I can take these guys down."

Whack!

Naruto had appeared from nowhere and kicked the tall Ame-nin into his teammates, knocking them all down in a pile. "Thanks for the assist Ammy!" Naruto called out as he landed. The false Naruto chuckled, then released the henge to reveal Ammy, who fell forward to rest a bit. She was dispelled while the real Ammy stepped out of the shrubbery, smirking.

"Let's get them," the Ame-nin leader commanded. He and his teammates all stood in the same position. "Oboro Bunshin no Jutsu!" they called out as clones appeared all over the place.

"Kage bunshin?" Naruto asked. Kabuto shook his head. "Then I'll just beat them all!" the blond declared as he rushed at one.

And went right through it.

Naruto had a 'what the hell' look on his face. "Baka! Regular clones aren't solid!" Sakura shouted.

Sasuke could feel the dull ache of his bite wound. He knew he had to help out, but just channeling the chakra needed for his Sharingan was painful. It was almost like the bite was rigged to mess with his eyes. He only needed it for a moment to find the real ones. "Sharingan," he whispered as Naruto and Kabuto's chakra became visible. He saw all the ninja facing them were just masses of chakra. "Naruto!" he gasped out, "they are all clones!"

"Sasuke-kun!" Sakura cried, "Stop using your Sharingan! It's making it worse!"

"I agree with Sakura!" Ammy yelled from her side of the field.

Kabuto tackled Naruto aside as one of the Ame-nin rose from the ground and attempted to cut him. "Careful! They're under the ground, synchronizing their attacks with the clone's to make it harder to find them!" A bit of blood dripped from a cut across his nose.

"GAH!" the third Ame-nin cried out. Looking over revealed that Ammy had caught him off guard, jamming her kuni through his shoulder. With that slight distraction, the tall one was knocked out by Sasuke and the last one was defeated by Naruto and Sakura. Ammy slowly disabled the one she had caught by forcing fire chakra through major nerve points.

"I think I over did it…,"she stated as she poked him with the blunt end of a kunai.

Naruto checked them and found a Heaven Scroll, the one they needed.

"Kabuto!" a masked nin called out.

"My team is here," Kabuto said, "I'll see you four at the tower." He waved and left with his team.

"Let's head to the tower," Sasuke ordered, "we are almost out of time." Naruto and Sakura helped Ammy onto her feet and Team 7 made their way to the tower.

[Day 5, Tower]

The four stood in a room with an inscription on the wall. They read it out a few times, not making sense of it. Sakura noticed the holes that looked like something was fit into it. "Open the scrolls?" Ammy suggested. Naruto and Sakura opened them, noticing that what was written inside made no sense.

"Drop them!" Sasuke shouted. His teammates listened.

Poof!

"Congratulations on making it," Iruka commended as the cloud faded. He didn't get much else out because Naruto tackled him in a hug. He looked over the genin, noticing Sakura's hairstyle change, Sasuke's pained face, Naruto wincing a bit while holding his stomach and Ammy grinning and hiding her exhaustion. She looked different, too. It didn't escape his notice that all looked just a bit roughed up. He explained the meaning of the inscription on the wall, filling in the blanks and telling them about the meaning behind Heaven and Earth. Ammy scoffed when Iruka basically claimed Sasuke's conditioning was ideal for a chūnin.

"No more time," Iruka said, "you four need to get going for the beginning of the next stage." The four genin left. He remembered the times when they had been his students.

[Twenty minutes later]

Ammy stared at the proctor, Hayate, who just asked if anyone wanted to back out. The Hokage had gone on about some things that didn't really matter in her opinion. Well, it was important, just not at the moment. What mattered was kicking things off and kicking someone down and out of the running for the main tournament that would be held in a month. She truly wanted to test her power against Naruto and that stuck up brat Neji. Then again, maybe Sasuke and that Gaara kid would be fun to fight as well.

Kabuto stepped forward, fully intending to quit when he stopped himself. How many times has he done this? Six? Seven? If he didn't want to seem suspicious, then he should at least go for the prelims. After all, he always quit here and he was a survivor from that battlefield. Those two points alone were suspicious enough. With any luck, he would get a strong enough opponent and he would be able to be 'knocked out' by them.

"If nobody is quitting, then let us start the preliminary matches," Hayate declared. He turned to an electronic screen. "This board will determine who fights who. When it finishes selecting the combatants, all others are expected to leave for the observation decks." With that, the screen declared the first match.

Uchiha Sasuke VS Akado Yoroi

Everyone started filing towards the decks. Kakashi told Sasuke that he would stop the battle if he saw any signs of trouble from the curse mark. Sasuke, not wanting to lose the chance to test his strength, fought Yoroi in a pure taijutsu battle. To make things bad, Yoroi literally sucked. He was somehow able to siphon his opponent's chakra through a mere touch. This was all according to Orochimaru's plan. The serpent was disguised as a Sound jōnin, smiling as he watched Sasuke draw closer to his plan.

To everyone's shock, Sasuke copied Lee's moves, kicking Yoroi into the air. He then appeared behind the boy within his shadow.

That is when it went downhill.

Sasuke was almost completely tapped out and the curse mark took full advantage of that and started spreading like an infectious contagion. It took over his entire left arm and part of his face when it halted, a sure sign that Sasuke was rejecting it. He forced it back, then created a new technique he called Shishi Rendan. Kakashi appeared and spirited the boy away before the medics could get to him.

Ammy was broken out of her musings by Naruto tapping her shoulder. She looked at him and he pointed to the board.

Yakushi Kabuto VS Kaneko Amaterasu

Ammy grinned. She had finally felt recovered enough for a good fight. Her coils needed a good draining or two to fully recover. The coils and her chakra system were still clogged up with some of her fouled chakra.

She hopped over the rail and landed on the battlefield, then rushed to where she was supposed to stand. Kabuto smiled when he made it to his starting spot. "Please be gentle with me," he said as he held out his hand Ammy stared at it, and then shook it. At least she could conform to her opponent's pre-battle stuff.

"Begin!" Hayate announced before jumping out of range.

Ammy stood still, waiting for an attack. The second Kabuto initiated the first attack, she jumped and twisted to land her other leg on the side of Kabuto's head with a bang, or at least she had intended to. Her kick missed by a narrow margin. No matter, she spun in mid air to land behind him and charged him, pulling her fist back for a punch. This connected and staggered the boy. Before he had a chance to recover, Ammy drove a roundhouse kick at his face, knocking the boy onto his back. He skid back about two feet before he came to rest.

"Round two?" Ammy asked as she bounced on her feet like a boxer. She was thrilled. Kabuto didn't move aside from breathing. Hayate went over to check on him, and then declared Ammy the winner by knockout. "AWWWWWWWWWWWWWWW," she whined as she walked away to the stands. Kabuto was taken away by medics to Konoha's hospital. The fight left a bitter taste in her mouth, almost like it had been decided that Kabuto would lose to her. He didn't even seem to try put effort into the fight. "aww…"

Ammy sat back and watched the other matches.

**[****Nine Epic and a few Not-So-Epic Fights Later…****]**

"Would all the remaining examinees -cough- please come down to the arena floor?" Hayate said, then looked down, "well, the remains of the arena floor."

Everyone assembled on the floor and Anko carried a box around, telling them to take a single piece of paper out. Once everyone had a slip of paper, they were asked to say their number.

"Eight," Dosu said.

"Seven?" Naruto asked more than said.

"Nine," Temari said, wondering what was going on. She secretly hoped she could fight that Uchiha.

"Three," Kankuro mumbled. He seriously hoped he wouldn't have to fight. He didn't want to reveal too much about Karasu.

"Three," Gaara said. He didn't care who he fought, as long as it proved his existence. He used his sand to destroy his paper.

"Four," Shikamaru...groaned? He sounded oh so thrilled.

"Two," Neji said, hoping his foe would be Sasuke. Everyone else here was fated to lose to him if they met him in battle. He also wanted to show Ammy that she was beneath him now.

"One," Shino said. His face was, as with his entire clan, as readable as the first test paper.

"Ten," Ammy growled. She was still pissed off at Neji and Gaara. She just wanted to burn them down or stab them. Over and over. Maybe she would do both. On a strange whim, she obliterated her slip of paper with a quick shot of flame from her mouth, like she was blowing out a candle.

"That makes Uchiha Sasuke's number seven," Ibiki muttered as he wrote on his clipboard.

"Now that we got your numbers," the Hokage explained, "we can tell you who you are fighting in the main tournament in a month's time."

"What?" Shikamaru shouted, actually becoming animated, "this was all so that we could know who we were going to fight.

"Ibiki, show them the match ups," the Hokage told the torture expert. Ibiki showed them the paper.

Match 1: Aburame Shino VS Hyūga Neji

Match 2: Kankuro VS Nara Shikamaru

Match 3: Gaara VS Uchiha Sasuke

Match 4: Uzumaki Naruto VS Temari

Match 5: Kaneko Amaterasu VS Kinuta Dosu

'Why am I so far from the assholes?' Ammy thought to herself. She wanted to be picking pieces of Gaara and Neji's faces out of the soles of her sandals for the next twenty years. Shikamaru was thinking of how troublesome it was to fight a puppeteer. And if it went the way he thought it would, he would be fighting Ammy in the next stage. Talk about troublesome. 'Too troublesome... I'll just forfeit...'

Gaara was as happy as a pig in mud, wanting to crush the power that Sasuke had shown. Naruto wanted to kick Neji's ass out his forehead.

Neji, the ever arrogant prick, figured it would be easy to get to Sasuke since nothing worth mentioning was in his way. He needed a way to defeat everything Sasuke could throw at him. Temari was very unimpressed since she believed it would be a battle royale or something with the numbers they had drawn.

Dosu glanced at Naruto and laughed. Easy fight. He would have to forfeit after checking in on Gaara later, though.

Naruto was already set to go when the announcements were concluded. "Sakura-chan! Where is Kakashi-sensei?" he shouted.

"Probably at the hospital with Sasuke-kun!" she called back.

"Thanks!" he shouted, then took off. Ammy dragged Sakura and took off to follow Naruto.

"Ammy! What are you doing?"

"You wanted to see Sasuke, right?" Ammy asked as she increased her speed and took to the lower roofs. "I have a bad feeling about this..."

Sakura was going to ask about that, but saw Ammy's serious expression and stopped.

[Konoha Hospital]

"Can we see Sasuke!" Naruto shouted at the poor medic.

"Sorry, but Uchiha Sasuke-sama is not to see anyone right now," he said, then quietly added, "least of all you, demon."

Bang! Crunch!

"So. Who's the demon here? You, a shallow bastard, or... my buddy here?" Ammy snapped after kicking a chair, causing the seat to fly into the wall and get lodged in it and wrapping an arm around Naruto's shoulders.

The medic was about to call for ninja to control the girl when Kakashi walked onto the scene. The lazy jōnin took it all in: a scared Sakura behind Ammy, girl growling, Naruto staring at Ammy like she was a ramen hater and the seat of a poor chair that met Ammy's foot stuck in the wall.

"Keep quiet in the hospital you three," Kakashi warned.

"Kakashi! This shallow idiot here was being a bastard!" Ammy roared.

"Really?" Kakashi asked.

"W-well...not... A-anyways! Sasuke-sama is not to have visitors at this time," the medic said, saving his own ass in his mind. Later, he would realize how wrong he was when he got picked up by ANBU.

"Kakashi-sensei!" Naruto shouted, having adjusted, "I need training to fight Dosu!"

"Sorry Naruto," Kakashi said, "I have to train Sasuke so he is ready for Gaara."

"It's always Sasuke!" Naruto shouted.

"Don't worry Naruto," Kakashi soothed, "I am not really all that suited to training you anyways. I did find someone to train you though."

"Who?" Naruto asked.

"That would be me," Ebisu said as he came into view.

"The closet pervert!" Naruto shouted

"Ebisu-sensei is a closet pervert?" Kakashi asked. This was the first he heard of it.

"Apparently," Ammy replied as she was told by Ebisu to let Sakura down and told her to take Sakura and Naruto to the hot springs and wait for him to arrive.

**Scene Change**

Ammy sweat dropped at the scene before her. Naruto was on the ground, black and blue with an angry Sakura sitting on a nearby rock.

"Did he ask you out on a date?" Ammy asked, "or did he hug you?"

"Hmph!" Sakura turned away from her male teammate in disgust. "That pervert was peeking on the women when I got here. I corrected him."

Ammy sighed. This was one of the many problems that Kakashi should have already taken care of. While it was important to allow the team to keep its dynamics when it came to their individual personalities, it was important to help them form a proper bond. Instead, Kakashi had spent his time reading smut and instructing Sasuke. Then again, Naruto did deserve it this time. Ammy would have gently cuffed him in the head.

Ebisu suddenly yelled, "I'm going to help you learn to sense chakra better as well as use kawarimi without hand seals. Needing seals for such a thing is useless. Basically, I'm going to teach you how to mold chakra without the aid of regular chakra molding. You will program your chakra flow to use jutsu on mental command." Ebisu helped Naruto to his feet.

"Wow...TEACH ME CLOSET PERVERT!" Naruto shouted, loving the idea of using jutsu really fast.

"First!" Ebisu interrupted by grabbing his jaw to halt any motion, "you need better chakra control. For that, I will have you, Amatarasu and Sakura practice water walking." He explained water walking, by reading from a scroll, and instructed the two to go and try it. As expected, Ammy and Sakura got it fairly quickly, only falling in a few times. Naruto, on the other hand, was falling in every time.

Ebisu sighed. "Naruto, keep your concentration up and keep practicing," He instructed, "Sakura! You, Amatarasu and I are going to be doing exercises to increase your chakra levels. I might also teach you a bit about ninjutsu and taijutsu if we get far enough along and you have talent for them. For genjutsu, I'll see if I can get Kurenai to help you out since I can't understand genjutsu at all."

Ebisu returned to see Naruto drag himself out of the water again. He took everything other than his boxers and forehead protector off so he could cool down. Ammy noticed something when he molded his chakra. A seal appeared on his stomach, along with something odd on it. "Naruto! Let me see that wound on your stomach!" she called out. She told Sakura to continue with her current exercise, kunai balancing, while she checked up on Naruto. Sakura was staring at Naruto, never having seen a boy without his shirt on.

'I don't really remember too much of what happened, but it seems some seals were put on top of another seal...' Ammy thought as she looked at it. She wasn't a seal mistress or anything, but even she could tell that the big one was important and the little ones wasn't supposed to be there. It might explain why Naruto had so much trouble with water walking. Course, she had no clue how.

"Naruto, I am going to try to help you with your-"

A perverted giggle reached the three genin. All looked over to see an old man dressed in a red coat with long white hair standing at the fence, eye glued to Naruto's peep hole.

"-Awareness..." she finished. She waited, hoping the man had some form of decency.

He didn't. Not even the ghost of a shred. He continued his ocular assault of the unsuspecting women.

Ammy charged at the man, right hand cocked back. She swung and her nails tore only air apart. Before she knew it, a giant toad landed on her, burying her under it and the old pervert.

"You disrupted my research. For that, you have been punished," the old perv stated as he sat atop the toad.

"W-who are you?" Naruto shouted.

"Me? I am the legendary man who makes women melt with a single glance. The one who silences babies with ease. A master of over a thousand jutsu and Myōbokuzan's one and only master sennin, Jiraiya the Toad Sage!" he proclaimed as he assumed a strange pose. The toad sort of joined in.

"Lame," Naruto said. Sakura nodded weakly.

Jiraiya was about to say something when his toad was dispelled. He looked down in time for Ammy to grab his leg behind the knee. "RAWR!" with that primal roar, she threw him into the air with an extremely rapid spin. He went over the wall and fell into the springs with a splash. Contrary to his introduction, the women screamed and the sound of slapping, kicking and punching met the genin's ears. It ended with a sharp crack, whether it was the old man's neck or some random wooden object he was hit with remained to be seen.

Poof!

A slightly injured and wet Jiraiya appeared before them "That wasn't funny!" he shouted.

"Was for me," Ammy smirked, "that's what you get for dropping a frog on me and not moving right away."

Ebisu's sweat dropped. He was being ignored.

"That was a toad, baka," Jiraiya stated. Ammy growled, already annoyed with the old man.

"I don't really know anything about what you said," Naruto stated, trying to make sense of the old pervert's words.

"Hmm. Maybe my writing talent will speak 'volumes' for me," the Jiraiya joked as he pulled out a very familiar orange book.

"AH!" the three genin gaped.

"I see it is popular even here," Jiraiya said to himself with his eyes closed. Sadly, he wasn't paying attention too well.

Ammy and Sakura were already in front of him, fists cocked back for punches.

[Ten minutes later]

"I yield," Jiraiya said as he bowed before the two girls. He didn't know that his Tsunade-hime had daughters! Well, daughters in spirit anyway...

"Jiraiya...Where have I heard that name before?" Ammy asked herself. She gave up when she felt a headache coming on. "Hey pervert! What can you do?"

Jiraiya shot up. He knew better than to piss off a woman who hated perverts and could punch that hard. "HAI! I can use many jutsu, roughly a thousand. I use a special taijutsu style taught to me by the toads and I am a master of seals."

"Seals?" Sakura asked. She knew of them, but seal masters were rare. It was a great opportunity to learn about the obscure art. Most shinobi just used storage scrolls.

"Can you fix a seal?" Ammy asked.

"I guess," Jiraiya said with a shrug, "I have to know about it first."

Ammy thought of that strange seal on Sasuke's neck, but pointed at Naruto instead. Ebisu cut her off and said, "He has a seal on his stomach that seems to have been messed up recently. Take a look at it."

"Hai!" Jiraiya saluted and went over to Naruto. He looked at the seal and recognized it instantly. He then recognized Orochimaru's five elements seal. The way the elements seal was placed, it blocked the openings for the Eight Trigrams seal, stopping Naruto from accessing the Kyūbi's chakra. Because of this, it caused his system to go into a form of silent withdrawal, screwing his control over big time. "I'm going to fix this seal now," Jiraiya warned Naruto. He slammed his fingers into Naruto's stomach, eradicating the five elements seal. Luckily, it had been a weak, temporary seal to start off with. "Try water walking again," Jiraiya suggested.

Naruto stepped onto the water and didn't sink. With his control restored to its usual level, Naruto jumped up and down on the water in joy.

"Don't get happy yet Naruto, I still have other things to teach you before the finals," Ebisu told the ecstatic blonde.

"I know!" Naruto cheered.

"Hey kid," Jiraiya called, "want me to teach you some stuff? I know a really powerful jutsu that you may like..."

"Hey!" Ebisu growled, "I'm teaching him! Go find some other kid!"

"Well, what you're about to teach him pales in comparison to what I want to teach him," Jiraiya bragged.

"What then?" Ebisu asked.

"Summoning jutsu," Jiraiya stated.

He shut up.

"How about this," Jiraiya offered. He then laid out a plan where Sakura would be instructed by Kurenai for genjutsu training. Of course Sakura would be given time off to rest. The girl's chakra reserves were extremely small and hard to cultivate. He figured that Sakura would have enough chakra to produce a single shadow clone, though she would be heavily drained afterwards, in two or three months if she kept up with the exercises, not dieting and proper rest. In the long run, it would benefit Sakura greatly. Meaning that he took EVERYTHING out of Ebisu's hands.

"FINE," Ebisu sighed in defeat.

They all said their goodbyes and parted their separate ways so they could resume training. Well not quite all of them.

A small girl stood alone in front of the hot springs staring at a group of people walk away dumbly. A few seconds later, "….WAIT WHAT ABOUT ME!" Ammy half yelled half whined.


	14. Chapter 14: Let's Have a Little Talk

Hi there readers of The New Girl! I've kinda noticed that my remake has been ignored by a few of you, and I'ts a wee bit sad. And I'm surprised. an actual very few (emphasis on few...like one) people have actually added this to a favorite and alert list. Please don't? xD It's shameful to read this after all these years. Well, as I have said before, there's a remake, go and read and review that if you want. xD My pacing was terrible along with... grammar, parallelism, and tons of other stuff. Whelp. Have fun reading ze other fic, and to those newbies brave enough to wade through this wasteland, maybe...just maybe... you should relocate xD

Have fun!

(edit: 1/14/14) Well. it's surprising that i still have reviews coming for this xD


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